No Choice
by TheMuffinMan6969
Summary: Percy, after becoming a god and being dumped, can say he's had a rocky life. One of the upsides though, is that he's made a few friends. One of his more unlikely friends is none other than the virgin hunter goddess herself, Artemis. After an arranged marriage is decided on by the council, Percy and Artemis have to learn to adjust to this new relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Decisions Were Made

**So this is gonna be a short story. I'm gonna try my hand at the arranged marriage story arc. Even though I've seen plenty of arranged marriage fics, I mainly got this idea from fanofthehunt on Wattpad. Their stuff's incredible. Like pretty much all of my stories, there's a lot of backstory to this that's different from the books. But, because I don't want to bore you with 3 chapters of stage-setting, because I know I get bored when other stories do that, I'm just gonna start here. It's between 4-5 years after the Second Giant War.**

Chapter 1: Decisions Were Made

_Percy's P.O.V._

"So how was school?" I asked, taking another bite out of my Big Mac while my daughter ate some fries across from me. "It was okay. We fingerpainted today, and I got told off for flicking paint at another kid." She said, and I had to suppress a smile. "Why'd you do that?" I asked, faintly wondering if my daughter was a criminal in the making. She shrugged and continued to eat. "He was annoying me." She said simply.

I couldn't hold back my amusement after that.

You're probably wondering how the hell I have a daughter, and where's Annabeth? Well, I'll tell you. Not in too much detail though, I don't want to relive it, just inform you of what happened.

You see, Annabeth and I were pretty rocky in terms of our relationship. I attribute that mainly to Hera kidnapping me, stealing my memory and Annabeth returning to find me beside another girl. Of course, Reyna and I weren't dating, nor did I like Reyna like that, but that scene looked really bad to Annabeth, who'd been worried about me for months.

Anyway, after that, it all went downhill. We didn't have time to sort it out at the time because of the war, but after that all ended it only became painstakingly obvious. We'd fight about small things that ticked one of us off, we never went out on dates, we were hardly ever in the mood to have sex. After a while, it all came crashing down. On my _birthday_, no less.

Yep, on my 18th birthday, Annabeth decided to dump me. Of course, I could see why. We loved each other when we were 15, or maybe it was just a mutual crush, but that love had all but dissipated now that all the fighting had stopped. So, she told me it just wasn't working anymore, and she just walked away.

Even though we hadn't loved each other for a long while, I was heartbroken, It was my first breakup, and it had to happen on my birthday. The most cursed day of all time. After that, I just snapped. Not in the sense that I killed everyone, but more like I just lost all reason and sensibility I had inside me.

I didn't tell anyone where I was going, but I left camp. I called a cab and got driven out to Manhattan. After walking around for a while, I found a nice bar. As you do in bars, I got drunk. Really drunk. From there I don't remember anything.

All I know is that 9 months later, I was staying at my Mom's apartment when I heard a knock on the door. I was the one to open it, and on the ground just outside was a baby.

A beautiful baby girl that I named Selena, after the forgotten goddess and a dear friend that was lost to me.

I never found out who her mother was, but even though she was probably some hooker that drunk me thought looked enticing at 2am, I hope she's alright. Who knows, maybe she's got a family of her own now.

Selena did look a lot like me though. Black hair, sea-green eyes, and she wasn't chubby or even a bit overweight. Her skin was olive however, while mine was a bit more tanned. Not to say that I was black or Jersey Shore tanned, but I wasn't exactly white-skinned or pale.

Anyways, I had just picked Selena up from preschool -she's three-, and decided to take her to McDonald's. I wanted Selena to get an actual education, so during the week she'd go to school with her scent masked, and then I guess carry on through until she graduated high school and hopefully college. That was still some ways off.

Selena giggled, covering her mouth as she ate some more fries. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, before I noticed a slight movement in my peripheral vision. I jumped in shock, before realising it was just Hermes, who laughed along with my daughter at my expense. How did he even get here without me noticing his flash? Unless he just walked in and sat down.

I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of my Diet Coke. "What do you want, Hermes?" I asked, tired of the gods at this point. He got up, patting me on the back. "There's a council meeting in half an hour, don't be late. See ya, loser." He said, waving to Selena, who pouted and blew a raspberry at him as he left the restaurant.

I sighed, realising our afternoon together would have to be cut short. Oh wait, I just realised I forgot to tell you something. I'm an Olympian god now. Yeah, it's no biggie. I didn't think it was all that important so that's why I didn't bring it up.

Yep, once again I was offered godhood after the Giant War, well all of the Seven were. Since Annabeth had the offer as well, we decided to accept, along with the others. I figured our love could last forever now that we're immortal. Whoops.

Not only that, but since I was a repeat offender when it came to saving the world, I was offered a place on the Olympian council. Being the kind dude I am, I agreed to do it only if Hades and Hestia got their thrones back as well. Naturally, the vote was unanimous.

Then, all the stuff I told you earlier happened. Annabeth and I broke up, I had a demigod child _who I was allowed to raise _since I'm the god of Heroes and Demigods which basically means I'm like Artemis whereas I can be around demigods without consequences. Now I'm sitting here eating McDonald's at 4pm with my three year old daughter.

_Speaking of Artemis_, I thought as a familiar looking woman entered the quiet McDonald's, followed by a horde of 20-ish young and teenage girls. She caught my eye and nodded, quickly going up and handing the cashier a notepad, a fat stack of bills and receiving her order number before walking over to us. The hunters all immediately ran for the empty play-place, the younger ones being the ones who actually played while the ones over the age of 9 sat at tables and conversed.

Selena noticed the goddess. "Hi, Artemis!" She grinned after taking a sip of her Sprite and waving at the goddess approaching our table. Artemis smiled and waved back, now reaching the table. "Hello, Selena." She said. A lot of gods liked Selena, such as Hermes and Artemis, and gave her permission to call them by their names instead of their titles. Except for Poseidon, who insisted she call him Grandpa.

She sat down beside Selena, who continued to devour her cheeseburger happy meal. I smiled warmly at her, and received one in return. Despite my gender, Artemis and I were friends. I think it's mainly because of the time I held the sky for her, but I don't know if she's genuinely grateful and likes me as a person or if she just feels like she owes it to me to be nice. I hope it's the former.

"We have a meeting in 30." I told her, grabbing my second burger, a cheeseburger, and beginning to eat it. She nodded. "I know. Hermes was just down the street when we were coming here. We're camped out in Central Park for the time being. There's a certain Cretan Bull that needs to be hunted down." She said casually, making Selena's eyes flare with excitement as Artemis mentioned hunting.

I raised an eyebrow. "The Cretan Bull? That think Hunkules RKO'd? I didn't know it was immortal." Look at me, flexing my Mythology knowledge I obtained while writing two books for this nice guy named Rick.

Artemis nodded. "What? You think just any bull can actually impregnate a woman and birth a monster?" She asked, smiling with a questioning look on her face. I took another bite. "I wasn't aware people other than Pasiphae had tried." I joked, not expecting her next answer. She smirked, leaning back. "You'd be surprised."

Well that almost made me lose my appetite.

I pushed my _third _burger -don't judge me, I need fat to burn when I'm running around all day- which was a Quarter Pounder towards her. "You want it?" I asked, and she shook her head. "No, I've got my own coming. But if you're willing to share the fries that'd be good. They usually take a while to cook for 25 girls." She told me, and I nodded, pouring the fries on the tray so we could share them like popcorn.

Selena was excited to hear more of Artemis' stories about the hunt, so she listened with wide eyes as Artemis recounted the time they tracked down one particularly nasty Hellhound to Wyoming, and proceeded to attack it. The beast went wild, and by the end of it, Thalia was in the infirmary after somersaulting into a tree when the hellhound threw her 50 yards.

My daughter found that part _extremely _funny.

The McDonald's employees were smart, and decided to do the Hunters' 4 people at a time on one tray instead of handing them all out at once. Luckily Artemis' was on the first tray, otherwise we would've been late, and she dumped her food on the table before going off to give the tray to the hunters.

I looked at her food. A medium McChicken meal. "You eat lightly." I noted, talking about how there was only three items: the burger, fries and drink. The goddess scoffed as she sat down. "No, I drink normally. _Healthy_. You're the one who eats like you're about to hibernate." She judged, noting my three burgers, large fries and my drink.

I smirked. "Well what else am I supposed to do during meetings? Dionysus has got it right." I joked, earning a laugh. Most people never would expect the man-hating goddess to laugh at a _male's _joke, but like I said, we're friends.

We ate the rest of our food without much drama, just chatting normally while Selena played with the cheap plastic hot wheels car she'd gotten with her Happy Meal. Eventually, the time came when we had to go, and I had to decide what to do with my daughter. "Artemis, do you mind if I leave Selena with the hunters? I don't want to leave her at home alone and she'll probably get bored and break something if I drop her off at camp." I asked.

Artemis smiled at nodded. "Of course, she's stayed with us before. Besides, we'll only be gone for a few hours." She reminded me, and I nodded. The Hunters had babysat Selena before, and they were actually pretty good with it. They fed her healthy, all-natural food and trained her in archery and with daggers, which was the only weapon I allowed her to carry at age 3. Plus, since the hunt was practically a military regiment, she had a bedtime, which was 8:30 since she was under 10 years old.

I momentarily got Vietnam flashbacks from when she was a baby and _just wouldn't. Go. To. Sleep._

Anyways, we got up, and after I said goodbye, Artemis took Selena over to the hunters who were still at the playplace. She returned and nodded at me before we both flashed out, certain that the mortals wouldn't see it because of the mist.

We both arrived on our respective thrones, our height changed to that of a god's. My throne was on the end, to the right of Dionysus', and across from no one. We still hadn't found a goddess worthy of a place on the council. But, thankfully, now the votes could never be tied since the council was an even number. That meant there was no more Zeus turning on Dictator Mode because it couldn't be settled democratically. Those moments tended to annoy everyone else.

None of us had any idea what this meeting was about, but considering Dad and Zeus were glaring at each other furiously, I had a good idea. My face fell as I realised this fact, and I slumped back in my seat.

This rivalry of theirs was so stupid. I mean, I could understand Athena and Poseidon or Ares and Hephaestus, but these two had absolutely no reason to hate each other. It was just annoying for the rest of us at this point.

Aphrodite flashed in last, and Zeus cleared his throat. "Now that we've all arrived, does anyone have anything they'd like to report or discuss first?" He asked, and I could see he was impatient. Of course, no one answered, and the king nodded.

"Good. Now, onto the main topic of this meeting. It seems my brother has stolen what was rightfully mine, and I demand reparations!" He shouted, pointing his finger at my Dad. The sea god scoffed, glaring at Zeus. "I did no such thing! You had no claim, and I simply took what I was within my right of taking!" He countered.

The rest of us sat confused, before Hera sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose frustratedly. "They're fighting over some mortal. Zeus saw her first and was getting ready to _cheat _on me again, but by the time he got there Poseidon had rolled through and impregnated her." She explained, scowling at the two gods.

Zeus' eyes flared with electricity. "I should kill that child so it won't be in the way when I take my turn." He grumbled, and my Dad summoned his trident and stood up, pointing it threateningly at Zeus. "You will do no such thing, brother! Or I will strike down all your demigod children, Heroes of Olympus or not!" He screamed.

I saw Artemis become furious as her lieutenant was threatened, but I was just as angry. My Dad had just threatened to murder two of my best friends, all because Zeus was overreacting. Maybe it was my turn to react. They continued to argue at the top of their lungs, but I slammed on the armrests of my throne and stood up.

"ENOUGH!" I roared, shutting both of them up and leaving the throne room in stunned silence. I was too pissed off to care about all the attention that was now on me.

"Enough of this stupid arguing! You two are constantly arguing about every little thing that happens, but you have absolutely no reason to! Not only that, but every time you two fight, you force the rest of _us _to come and watch you two scream at each other! I think I speak for everyone here when I say that it's getting _really fucking annoying_." I yelled, continuing to shock them, but my rant wasn't over.

"I mean, seriously! Can you two just _SHUT UP!_ You're fighting over a girl you weren't even supposed to touch! You two are married, for Hera's sake! Zeus, your wife is sitting _right there _as you argue over your mistress without _any_ thought or care about how she feels about all this." I pointed out, making him flush in embarrassment as Hera glared at him. Surprisingly, the goddess of family smiled gratefully at me.

"And _Dad!_" I screamed, making the god in question jump in his seat. "I expected better of you! Not only did you cheat on Amphitrite yet again, but you threatened to kill two of my _best friends_. What the hell is wrong with you?" Dad sat back down and blushed as he thought over everything he said.

Now I'd calmed down, and I sighed. I rubbed my temples due to the stress, and turned back to both of the gods. "You two need to sort out your shit _privately_, from now on. Either that, or _SHUT UP AND GET ALONG!_" I yelled, stomping over and plopping myself back down in my throne.

The whole room was silent as everyone stared at me in shock. It was silent until Zeus cleared his throat and sat up a bit more in his seat. "I think Perseus has made his point clear, and to be honest, I agree. Brother, I think it is time we put aside our differences and make peace." He said.

Poseidon nodded. "Yes, but how are we going to make sure this peace lasts. I'm not sure I can trust your word." He said, suspicious of Zeus. The sky god then rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

"Well, I did have an idea. I proposed an arranged marriage between two of our children." He decreed, making the whole throne room tense up. I noticed Athena and Artemis tense out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't blame them. If Zeus wanted this to be taken seriously, it would make sense to choose one of his Maiden, Olympian daughters.

To my horror, Poseidon nodded. "I like that idea, and there's a son of mine that I have in mind." He said, glancing at me. My heart sunk. I knew Dad just wanted to help me. He probably thought this would elevate my status and power, which it probably would. Sometimes he just forgot to take into account how I feel about this.

Zeus followed his gaze. "Well, if you intend to choose young Perseus, then I would propose someone he already gets along with, to make this easier. Artemis, my daughter, I vote that you shall be married to Perseus. Are we all in agreement?" He asked, and I sighed as I realised this was Democracy.

Stunning me almost to death, a lot of people raised their hands. Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus and Hades. Aphrodite giggled in her seat. "I, for one, have been hoping for this ever since Percabeth failed and those two became friends. I think they'll go wonderful together!" She said dreamily.

Zeus nodded after counting all the votes. I already knew the results. 8/15, or 8 - 7. "Anyone not in favor of this?" He asked needlessly.

The rest of the gods' hands went up. Obviously mine and Artemis' were among them. Others were Hera, Hestia, Athena, Hephaestus and surprisingly, Ares. I was about to question whether Ares misheard Zeus, as he'd never side with me. Then I noticed he was staring at Artemis piggishly, and I realised he was only opposed because he wanted Artemis for himself.

Zeus smiled at sat back. "Then it is decided. Perseus and Artemis shall be wed, sooner rather than later, but I think we can spare some time for them to get better acquainted with each other. Meeting dismissed!" He said, banging his bolt on the floor.

Artemis and I were left staring at each other from across the room in disbelief and horror as it was decided.

**Yay, first chapter! So I'm going away for a week, so there won't be any updates for a little bit. Just thought I'd publish this as a little teaser and experiment. Did you guys like it? Any ideas on how to improve? Do tell.**

**Word Count: 3302**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: It's Not Your Fault

**So I will be continuing my stories, but I think I want to take it easy. I won't be pressuring myself into updating, I'll start focusing a lot more on school and I'll only work on something if I have a good idea for it. That way the stuff I put out won't be horseshit, I won't be dead tired and failing school and my mental health should improve. So, who knows, maybe if I get ideas I might update one of those practically abandoned stories like Viva La Vida or PJTO.**

Chapter 2: It's Not Your Fault

_Percy's P.O.V._

We flashed to the hunter's camp in Central Park in silence. Artemis was almost pale, and her fists were clenched so hard that I swear she was about to draw blood. I swallowed, noticing how parched my throat had become since Zeus declared that damning fate of mine.

I hadn't spoken, neither of us had spoken since Zeus' decision, not to each other or anyone else. Athena and Hestia had tried to comfort Artemis after the meeting was dismissed, but Artemis looked like she'd just witnessed murder, or seen a ghost. After five minutes of complete silence from her, the two goddesses told her to IM them if she wanted to talk and left.

I noted that she was shaking as we walked out from the bushes into the clearing where the hunters were camped, though I didn't know if she was angry. I checked my watch. It was 8:20pm. Selena should still be awake.

Sure enough, she was, but she was in her pyjamas. Actually, now that I got a closer look, those weren't her pyjamas. I'm guessing she borrowed one of the other hunters' clothes.

She was the first one to see us, and a big grin spread on her face. "Dad!" She yelled, running up and launching herself at me. I pulled her into a hug, needing comfort right now. She didn't sense the blue emotions on my face at first, choosing instead to ask. "Can I stay here tonight for a sleepover? You can come pick me up in the morning. Please?"

I looked at Artemis, who was still staring at the ground and shaking with an indiscernible expression. I turned my head back down to her and nodded. That night I'd most likely need either to go out and get blackout drunk or I'd need to cuddle up in bed with my daughter for comfort. I guess I'd settle with the former.

"If Lady Artemis approves, then sure. But first, there's something I need to talk to you about. Where are you sleeping?" I asked her, and she pointed to one of the tents near the campfire. I led her over there, and after making sure there wasn't a hunter sleeping inside, we entered. I led my daughter over to the bed and sat her down, before kneeling on one knee so I was about eye level.

I sighed, thinking over what I was going to say and how I was going to break it to her, before I looked her in the eye and asked her a question. "What do you think of Lady Artemis?" Selena's eyes brightened, and she smiled. "She's really nice! I like her. Why?" She asked, oblivious as to my expressions.

I bit my lip, before taking her right hand in both of mine. "Sweetie, we're gonna go through some changes, okay? Maybe good ones, maybe bad. In a few weeks or months, it might not just be you and me anymore." I said as calmly as I could, and her face contorted in confusion. "What do you mean?"

My mind was racing with all her possible reactions to this. She could be upset, angry, delighted, even more confused or everything in between. "Well, Lady Artemis and I might be hanging out a bit more often. You see, grandpa and uncle Zeus have decided that Lady Artemis and I… will marry." I said, waiting for her probably loud reaction with a cringe.

She looked confused. "Marry? I thought Artemis didn't like that stuff. I thought she only liked girls." She said, her brows furrowed. I chuckled to myself that my daughter thought Artemis was a lesbian. Trust me, she's not, I've already asked her that before. "No, she doesn't _like_ anyone like that. But neither of us have a choice, grandpa said so." I told her.

She still looked confused. "Wait, so you guys don't want to get married? Why are you doing it, then?" She asked, not getting the point. I tussled her hair a bit. "You'll understand when you're older. Think of it like your dad tells you to eat your vegetables so you don't get fat and become monster food. My dad tells me I have to get married so him and Uncle Zeus don't fight anymore, okay?" I exampled, and she made a disgusted face. "I don't like vegetables."

I smiled a bit at that. "Just be glad I'm not making you get married to Jasper." She laughed, and scrunched her face up again. "Ew, Jasper's a baby." She said, and I kissed her forehead. "Yeah, don't date babies, kiddo. It's not good." I advised. Man, I'm doing good as a parent.

Her face suddenly became very happy. "Does this mean Artemis will become my mommy?" She asked excitedly, and I frowned. I quickly pulled my daughter for a hug, then looked at her. "Uh, Lady Artemis isn't taking it as well as I am. After we're married, she might not want to hang out with us. So… don't get your hopes up, kid. I'm sorry." I apologized, and her face fell almost instantly. "Okay."

She looked back up at me. "So can I stay here the night?" She asked, presumably trying to change the subject. I smiled at her, and nodded. "Sure. I need to talk with Lady Artemis anyway, so I'll double check if it's okay. You ready for bed?" I asked, and she nodded.

I led her over to her bed and tucked her in, making sure to give her a goodnight kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Dad." She said quietly, staring up at me. I brought the covers up a bit closer to her neck, making sure she was warm. "I'll come pick you up after breakfast." I assured her, and after one more 'goodnight', I left the tent.

The camp was quiet, the only occupants awake being the older hunters who stood in small groups by the tents or around the dining area. As I passed, each and every one gave me hateful and spiteful glares, trying to pierce my soul and burn it, and by proxy, me.

I wandered through the campgrounds, not daring to ask anyone for the location of their mistress. I was also mindful of my footing, keeping sure to not misplace my step and fall into a spiked pit, or become ensnared into an animal trap and possibly lose my leg.

After managing to navigate my way through the tents and hunters, I came across the center, where a campfire burned brightly with thick wooden logs surrounding it. Artemis sat there, on the log facing west, with the rising moon shining bright behind her. She looked angry, a glare etched onto her face that I'm guessing had been there for hours.

Her silver eyes were locked on her hunting knife, which illuminated the same shade of silver as her irises as it twirled between her cold hands. As I stepped into the light of the fire, the knife halted, the tip of the blade pointed towards me. Artemis did not look up, nor did her glare cease. "What do you want?" She asked bitterly, obviously not wanting to have me in her presence.

I approached the fire, now feeling the heat on my face, and now being able to see smaller details clearer. "I wanted to talk. We need to talk." I said, breaking the silence. Artemis' eyes snapped up to me, and they failed to hold the warmth that they once held as we'd chat in McDonald's, or the time she'd once attempted and failed to teach me how to shoot. "What is there to talk about? We are to be married, our fathers shall no longer fight. There is nothing more to say." She proclaimed, looking back down to her knife.

My eyes followed hers, and I gazed over her hands. The backs of both were bleeding, with crimson line numerous on both. The result of poor blade handling, or an intended massacre? I locked eyes with her again, as she'd resumed her trick of flying the knife around in her hand with admirable speed.

"Your hands are bleeding." I noted, knowing that she already knew. She didn't avert her eyes from the blade to speak. "If I cared, I would have treated them already." She said moodily, making me frown. "Why are they bleeding?" I asked, sympathetic to her. I knew she was taking this hard, I myself knew the feeling, but I didn't think it would lead to this.

Her cold metallic eyes met mine again. "The thing about being a god, there come times when you have to stop and decide between killing yourself or everyone around you." She muttered poetically, making me stop, not knowing what to say to that.

I sat down beside her, triggering a heated glare from the goddess. I ignored this, doing my best not to feel threatened while I stared into the scorching flames burning in the center of the camp.

Artemis sighed, putting down the blade. "Is Selena in bed?" She asked, rubbing her eyes exhaustedly. I nodded. "Yeah. It's okay if she stays the night, right?" I made sure, and she nodded. "Yeah, she's a sweet kid. The hunters like her, and she's very polite." She complimented my daughter, making me beam slightly with pride.

Since I was now Selena-free for a night, I dug from my dimensional storage an item I often possessed on Selena-free nights. "I didn't know you smoked." Artemis said, looking over at the blunt in my hand. I chuckled. "Oh, no. I don't smoke, that stuff kills you. This is just weed, I find it makes my alone-nights more exciting." I told her, and she nodded, eyeing the blunt warily.

I held it across to her. "You want some? I have more." I offered, and she shook her head. "No, drugs has never been my thing. I've seen what it does to people." She refused, and I retracted my hand a bit, before holding it out again. "Oh this stuff doesn't harm you, it's weed. It just makes you feel happy for a few hours. Try some." I nudged, trying not to be so pressuring.

She eyed it for a moment, before gently taking it out of my hand and holding one end to the fire. When it started to blaze, she placed the filter to her lips and inhaled, probably too deeply for a first time. Artemis started coughing immediately, and I chuckled as I dug out another blunt and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

She tried again, and this time managed to properly inhale some without coughing it back out. Her eyes immediately brightened, and she smiled slightly as she brought it away from her mouth. "Damn, that actually felt good that time." She noted, and I laughed. I held out the bottle of whiskey. "You want some?" I offered.

Artemis shrugged, and took the bottle out of my hand before downing a good few gulps. "Thanks." She said, wiping her mouth and handing the bottle back to me. The goddess went back to her blunt, and I sipped the alcohol.

"So how you feeling? Like really?" I asked, turning my head to look at her. She shrugged, and sighed deeply. "I don't know. I really don't fucking know." She said, putting her head in her hands, then continued. "I've been a maiden all my life, and now I'm getting married and I _fucking_ hate it." She complained.

Then she lifted her head up. "But at the same time, it's you. My only male friend in 3000 years, and the only one I consider to be better than the rest of his gender. Aw, shit. If it was anyone else like, gods forbid, Ares, I'd probably be raped on my wedding night. They'd probably even take advantage of it and force my hunters into being their concubines or something." She said, clenching her fists tighter than I've ever seen.

Suddenly, they relaxed, and she took another hit. "But… it's you. The guy who shares his fries with me at McDonalds without expecting me to suck his dick in return. The father of the sweetest, most polite little girl I've ever met. You're legitimately one of my best friends, and if I really have to get married and probably lose my virginity to end some petty fights, you're the only one I'd want it to be with." She finished, taking the bottle from my hand and taking another swig.

I sat there in silence, kind of stunned for a good few moments. I decided to pipe up with my comforting reassurance. "Artemis, I'm not gonna force you to do anything. After the marriage, I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again. I understand you don't wanna have sex, so I won't make you. I swear it on the Styx." I told her, making her look up at me in utter shock.

"Really? You'll let me stay a maiden?" She asked, a small amount of tears pooling in her eyes. I nodded, swallowing loudly. Artemis shocked me next by launching into a hug, making sure to keep her hand holding the blunt away from me. Her head buried into my chest, and for the first few seconds I just sat there awkwardly. Then I slowly wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back.

She pulled away shyly, and took the whiskey from my hands. I let her keep it, and summoned myself one. She gulped some down, and sighed. "What's Selena think of all this?" She asked, and I smiled, remembering that my daughter was fine with it, maybe even happy.

"She's, uh… she's happy. She couldn't quite figure out why we were being forced to marry, but she likes the idea of you becoming part of our family. She's… always wanted a mom. The closest thing she's ever had was her grandma. I told her not to get her hopes up…" I muttered, looking down sadly.

Artemis frowned at me, then looked at her feet. We were silent, the sound of the crackling fire torching it's way through the wood being the only noise you could hear. We sat there for a long time, thinking our own thoughts, enjoying each other's company, and contemplating the future. Artemis closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at the moon. "It's almost midnight. The hunters have all gone to bed." She noted, turning her head to look at me.

I drank some more, feeling a little buzz from both the high and the alcohol. "You know, I never thought this would how my life would go. I thought I'd be dead at age 16. Instead, here I am a god, not far from being married to the one goddess you're not supposed to marry, apart from Hestia and Athena. I have a kid, and I'm a single dad. Here I am drinking and smoking weed with Artemis, the virgin man-hating goddess who is also one of my best friends and my fiance. How did I end up going from a dyslexic 12 year old to _this_?" I asked, gesturing to all of myself.

Artemis cracked a smile, and took another puff. "You know, Percy, I always wanted to have kids. It was always one of my biggest wishes, to have a son or daughter of my own that I could nurture and love and raise as my own. The only reason I don't have as many children as Zeus or Poseidon is because to have one involves… you know, _sex_ and _pregnancy_. Two things I could never imagine myself going through." She told me, still smiling.

The auburn haired goddess took another sip. "But, now that I'm getting married to you, by law I'll get a daughter. You can assure Selena that I'll be there for her, and that I'll provide her with all that a mother can give. Who knows, maybe in time you and I can come to love each other, and I'll decide that I've been a maiden for too long." She suggested, smirking over at me.

I blushed, realising what she meant by that, and I looked away. I had a smile though, not just because Selena's wish came true, but because Artemis suggested that the idea of us, the Hero of Olympus and the Maiden Goddess, truly falling in love was actually _possible_. The idea made me happy, that maybe, just maybe, this marriage could turn out alright, given some time.

"One thing though." She said, putting her bottle down next to her. "I wanna know how many women you've been with. Not just relationships, but how many women have you slept with too." She asked, throwing me for a loop. "I, uh, I-I don't know? I've, ah, _ahem_, I've been with a few." I said, not being able to remember off the top of my head exactly how many.

Artemis smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Any I'd know? I need to know who exactly I need to be steering you away from." She teased, making me blush again. I mumbled under my breath, just loud and comprehensible enough for her to understand. "I've, uh, I've been with a few demigods, and a couple of goddesses." I told her, which sounded more like a confession of sin than a brag.

Artemis' jaw dropped, certainly not an answer she was expecting. "Goddesses? I kind of expected demigods, but goddesses too? Who were they?" She asked. I cleared my throat, many memories flooding back to me.

"Well, uh, there was Annabeth, of course. We had sex a few times. I didn't lose my virginity to her though. No, an Aphrodite camper I was good friends with took that when I was 13. Uh, when I was 15, me and my friend Rachel had sex in an empty classroom right before we were attacked by Empousa. I had sex with the Roman Praetor Reyna twice when I had amnesia. Along with all that, there were a few campers from both camps that I spent nights with after Annabeth and I broke up." I told her, making her eyes widen and she recognized some of those people.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, after Annabeth broke up with me, I slept with quite a lot of people, trying to get over it. Hell, it's been four years, I can't remember them all. A lot of mortals, lots of demigods like I said, nature spirits, and a few titans and goddesses." I finished, making her raise an eyebrow again. I realised then how filthy I was. I'd fucked dozens of people in my lifetime, and I can remember a time when I told myself I wouldn't have sex until after marriage.

"Who were the goddesses and titans?" She asked, and I could sense a red emotion inside of her, maybe anger? "Well, uh, I remember I went to free Calypso from Ogygia, and we ended up in bed. Hecate and I spent a night together. Me, Nemesis and Eris had a threesome one time. Of course, Aphrodite volunteered, so I had sex with her too. I- oh god, I also banged my half-sister Rhode. I also think I did Hebe, but I was too drunk to remember." I finished, and Artemis looked at me in shock.

"So you sleep around?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed in slight anger. I gulped, and put my hands up in a reassuring gesture. "No! Yes? Trust me, Artemis. None of them wanted anything more than sex. It was just some flings, I swear." I said, hoping she wouldn't obliterate me.

Artemis turned back facing forward, looking down at her hands. Her blunt had run out by down, and there was a funky smell in the air. "I hope this works out, Percy." She said, picking up her bottle of whiskey and finishing it. I smiled, doing the same with mine. "So do I, Artemis."

We stood up, and I stretched my arms. "Alright, I'm gonna head back to my palace. I'll come by in the morning to pick Selena up." I informed her, and she shook her head. "No you're not." She said bluntly. I was kinda taken aback by that, thinking that she was kidnapping my child. "What?"

She crossed her arms. "We are to be married, fated to spend the rest of eternity together. We'd better get used to it. You're sleeping with me tonight, but not like _that_. Try anything and we won't have anymore Selena's running around." She threatened, making me gulp.

"Yes, ma'am." I said, following her into her tent.

**Finally, I finished this chapter. I don't have much to say here. I'm tired. Goodnight.**

**Word Count: 3563**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: On Their Good Side

**Once again, I am back on this story after a long period of absence. I noticed you guys seem to like this story, so I thought I'd update it. Do you have any ideas for this story? I have the generic outline and it probably won't be more than 12 chapters, but any content or events you guys wanna see?**

Chapter 3: On Their Good Side

The thunder roared loudly outside, jolting both Percy and Artemis from their sleep. Both of them were breathing heavily from the fright, and as the metaphorical dust cleared, he noticed that it wasn't his daughter lying in his arms.

Artemis was panting heavily, wide-eyed. She'd always been afraid of thunder, perks of being a daughter of Zeus. She burrowed herself further into her pillow, trying to drown out the noise. As she felt the warmth of the object next to her, she immediately realised that it was indeed not her pillow that she was cuddling.

The two of them locked eyes in the dark, and both pairs widened as they realised what was going on. They had cuddled together sometime in the night, and now Artemis was snuggled tight in Percy's arms.

Neither of them made a move, but they had no idea how the other felt about this. It took nearly thirty seconds for them to realise that neither wanted to move, so they didn't. Artemis put aside how strange this was to her and put her head back down, trying to pretend that this was normal. In an ideal situation, this would eventually be normal. She told herself that this was a form of practising. She was lying with her fiance, that's all. There was nothing wrong with this situation, she just had to get that through her head.

Percy stared at the roof of the tent, where raindrops sharply hit and made a soothing ASMR-worthy sound. He held the goddess in his arms, trying to tell himself that this was normal now. This woman wasn't just another goddess he was sleeping with to get over Annabeth, this was his betrothed. He wasn't like that anymore, he didn't care for Annabeth. Now he wasn't spending the night in someone else's bed, he was engaged. This goddess would be his wife soon enough.

Still, he couldn't shake the anxiety welling up in him. He had no doubt that he'd been the one who started the cuddling. He was always a hugger, a trait his daughter had inherited very much. When the two of them looked at each other, he was fully expecting Artemis to flick out a butterfly knife and sever his manhood from his body. Thankfully, she didn't, which intrigued Percy.

She was being really upfront and cool with this. First, she invited him to her bed the same day they got engaged, she put aside her anger over their betrothal relatively quickly, and now she was even allowing such physical contact as cuddling.

Still, Percy couldn't complain. He liked cuddling her. She was like a larger version of Selena. Plus the goddess was warm, so that helped on a cold night such as the current one. The rain was relaxing, and Percy soon fell asleep listening to the sound.

He was awoken by a very familiar voice sounding throughout the tent as someone opened the door and barged in. "Milady, it's nearly breakfast time. What are you still doing in b-" The voice of Thalia Grace could be heard getting cut off as she took in the scene in front of her.

Percy drowsily lifted his head and smiled at her. "Hey Thals." He said, his neck giving way as his head flopped back down on the pillow. Thalia was wide-eyed and her jaw hung open, but since the blankets were currently only about waist high, she saw they both had clothes on and sighed in relief.

"You know the hunters are gonna be pissed, right? They're already not taking this whole betrothal thing very well, now their patron is already in bed with a guy. I'm sure they'll ignore the fact you guys didn't have sex." She said, crossing her arms and looking at him. Percy had propped himself up now so he was looking at her with Artemis still in his arms. "That's only if you don't snitch." He semi-threatened.

Artemis groaned from on top of him. "_Shut up._ Holy fuck my head hurts. What fucking time is it?" She asked, sitting up and squinting her eyes shut as she got used to the light sinking through the tent fabric. "Wow, you're really vulgar when you're hungover, huh?" He laughed, and Artemis glared at him as she clutched her head.

"Shut the _fuck_ up and answer my question." She snapped irritatedly. Thalia laughed, and Artemis' eyes snapped to her and she suddenly sobered. "Thalia! It's not what it looks like. We just slept, that's all!" She clarified, worried about what her lieutenant was thinking.

Thalia waved her off. "I know, I know. No one gets dressed to sleep after sex." She said, gesturing to their clothes. Artemis sighed, and rubbed her head again. "Holy Zeus! I only had one bottle!" She complained, clearly in pain. "Of whiskey. One whole bottle of whiskey." Percy cleared up, and Artemis realised how dumb that was. Percy thankfully wasn't feeling the same headache, though he had drunk the same amount.

Thalia crossed her arms. "Anyway, it's 8. Breakfast should be starting now. We used up those tortillas we bought and made burritos as a treat since Selena, and I guess Percy, is here." She said, and Artemis groaned. "Great, I slept in." She moaned. Thalia took that opportunity to leave, and Percy and Artemis were left alone in their tent.

"Sooo…. About last night." Percy started, and Artemis immediately knew what he was talking about. "Look, I don't mind physical contact like that, but my threat still stands. Try anything remotely sexual, and you are dead." She threatened, and Percy got the message. "Like I said, I'm not gonna force you into anything like that. Hades, I'm not even gonna try and start anything like that. If this relationship is gonna be sexual too, you can be the one to start it." He said, and she nodded gratefully.

Artemis lay down again, stretching out her arms. "Like I said, I'm glad it's you. Father probably would've had me marry Ares otherwise, since we're arguably his strongest children of either gender and it would be 'beneficial' for us to breed. Even someone as nice as Hermes would've cracked eventually and raped me. But I don't think you'll do that. You don't seem like a rapist." She noted, looking at him.

Percy chose to take that as a compliment. "Uh, thanks." He said, standing up and stretching. Realising breakfast was ready, Artemis also got out of bed, and the two made their way out of the tent.

What Artemis forgot about, and what they probably should've considered before exiting together, was that her tent was in full view of the dining pavilion. As they exited and looked across the dead campfire pit, they saw the entire hunt staring at them slack-jawed, save Thalia and Selena.

The two of them awkwardly and silently made their way over to the dining tent, where Artemis took her place at the head of the table. Percy didn't really know what to do in this situation, so he went over to Selena and crouched down. "You good, muppet?" He asked, and she nodded. "Yup! Breakfast's yum, do you want one?" She asked, holding out a bean burrito.

Percy smiled and took it, as well as two more from the huge plate in the middle. As he was leaving the tent, he heard Artemis' commanding tone. "Where do you think you're going?" He turned around, halfway to taking his first bite and staring at her in confusion. "I was gonna go sit under a tree and eat. I figure the hunters wouldn't really appreciate me eating with them." He explained.

Artemis shook her head. "Nonsense, we're betrothed, they will have to get used to it if this is gonna work out. Come sit between Thalia and your daughter." She offered, pointing to a slight gap between the two, where Thalia slid closer to Artemis and patted the spot beside her.

Percy was unsure, and he looked to see the reactions from the rest of the hunt. The younger ones all seemed fine with it, but the older ones all glared at him, as if saying _sit there and you're dead_.

Percy raised an eyebrow and looked at Artemis. "I'm fine, really. I'll just go eat by myself." He said, and Artemis shook her head. "Sit." She commanded, and being the beta he was, Percy obediently sat on the bench in between Thalia and Selena. The hunters all returned to normal, and Percy turned to his daughter. "How'd you sleep, princess?" He asked, and the 3 year old swung her legs happily as she ate.

"It was good. I thought about what you said, and I had good dreams. I dreamed that Artemis hung out with us and we went to the beach and stuff. It was fun." She said, drinking to get rid of the spice. Percy smiled at his daughter's innocence, then thought of something.

"You know, Artemis and I talked last night. I told her about your thoughts, and she said you had nothing to worry about. She always wanted children, and she promised to be as good of a mom to you as she can." He told her, which sent Selena off the rails. She swallowed her food and looked at him giddily. "Really?" She asked happily, and he nodded.

Then she did something no one expected, she jumped out of her seat and ran to Artemis, engulfing the goddess in a hug. "Thank you, mommy!" She said, burying herself in the goddess. Artemis was shocked at first, but when she heard what Selena said, Percy could swear she almost burst into tears.

Artemis joyfully hugged the little girl back with as much enthusiasm as Selena, and even kissed the top of her head. She smiled gratefully at Percy, and many of the hunters caught this, and looked at him in shock. A few of the older hunters even nodded at him in slight respect, being the ones who knew of Artemis' secret desire.

Percy smiled and nodded back, eating his burrito as Thalia nudged his ribs with a smirk. Phoebe, the eldest hunter after Zoe died, sat across from him with her arms crossed on the table, eyes narrowed. "So, boy. What were you and milady doing in her tent?" She asked, though it was more of an interrogation.

Percy gulped, knowing this question would come sooner or later. "Well, we slept. That's pretty much it. We stayed up talking by the campfire for a few hours, then around midnight Lady Artemis told me to sleep in her tent. Practice." He said, and Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Practice for what?" She inquired, and Percy shrugged. "Marriage, I guess." He said.

Atalanta, the second oldest hunter, chimed in. "So you admit you plan to sleep with milady once you're married?" She glared, catching the attention of everyone else at the table and inducing many more glares toward him. Percy blushed at the attention, and narrowed his eyes at the huntress. "I never said such a thing. Me and Lady Artemis have just accepted what is inevitable and are getting used to i-" He was cut off by Phoebe.

"So you're saying Lady Artemis doesn't actually want to sleep with you but you're making her 'get used to it'." She insinuated, and Percy stuttered. "I- I never s-said…" He trailed off, not used to being attacked so much.

Artemis chose that moment to intervene. "He is _not_ forcing me to do anything, nor are we sleeping together. Percy has offered for me to remain a maiden eternally. He has vowed that he will try no such sexual acts on me while I am still virgin, meaning I have to instigate anything like that myself. He has also promised not to bed another woman, which I wholeheartedly believe thanks to his title as God of Loyalty." She said pointedly to the two huntresses.

They both looked at him, astonished. "You would not sleep with any woman for the rest of eternity?" They asked, fitting the pieces together. Percy swallowed and nodded. "Perks of being the god of loyalty. I can't cheat on my wife, but I happen to be getting married to one of the three goddesses I will never sleep with, therefore rendering me chaste for all eternity, if only for my morals." He said, and Percy swore he saw an ounce of respect in their eyes.

Selena had returned to his side by now, and was looking up at Percy pleadingly. "Mom said we can go hunting, the three of us. Please! I always wanted to go hunting. Please, daddy!" She begged, and he looked at Artemis with an eyebrow raised. She waved him off. "She can have her dagger and I'll teach her how to catch rabbits, she won't get hurt. You and I can get bigger things like bears and deer." She said, and he nodded, looking back down at Selena. "Okay, we can go hunting, but remember what I taught you with your knife, and listen to, uh, mom, okay?" He told her, and she nodded. "Yup! Thanks, dad!" She said, grinning and hugging the god.

Percy hugged back, and soon enough dinner was finished and he helped clear the table. He made his way to the campfire, where Selena was showing Artemis her dagger. When Artemis saw Percy approaching, she stood up, and so did Selena. "You ready?" The goddess asked, and Percy nodded. He would be using his sword, since he _really_ didn't want to shoot Selena, which would probably happen. It would be hard to catch something with a sword, which was why he was on bear duty, tasked with taking one out quickly in order to feed most of the hunt for the next few days.

The three of them set out into the forest, trying to remain quiet so as to not scare off any potential prey. Occasionally Artemis would stop and teach Selena how to set snares, and soon his daughter could do it almost without any help. She was a bit unsure of how the snares worked, so Artemis had to explain how when the rabbit put his head in the hole, the trap would put him to sleep so they could come back and get it.

While they were doing that, Percy had gone for a short walk, and in no time he found a blackbear roaming around. When it saw him, it growled, and Percy uncapped his sword. Soon enough, Percy was walking back to them with a dead bear on his back.

When he got back to the snare, Artemis and Selena were standing there waiting for him. "There you are. We got the rest of dinner." She said, pointing to the dead white-tailed deer on the ground next to her. Selena smiled and held up a group of five rabbits tied together on a rope. "We got the rabbits from mom's other traps." She said happily, and Percy smiled, ruffling her hair.

"Well, in case you didn't know, I also caught something, and since mine's bigger, it's more valuable as a food source, so ha." He smirked. Artemis crossed her arms and smirked as well. "You know, bears are omnivores, so they taste a bit like what they eat. If that bear's been eating salmon, the fat's gonna have a fishy flavor." She said, and Percy turned slightly green. "I guess I'll have venison then." He said, making Artemis laugh.

The three of them were walking back to the hunter's camp and Percy and Artemis had dropped back a bit. "So was that fun?" He asked, readjusting the bear on his back. Selena nodded. "Yup, but I wanna hunt monsters next time. It's not as fun when they just stand there." She said, and Percy chuckled. "Maybe when you're older you can go out monster hunting with Artemis and the hunt. For now you should stick to rabbit's." He said.

Selena looked up at him. "Can I learn how to shoot?" She asked, and Percy shrugged. "I can't teach you, I'm terrible. You know, when I was younger, I accidentally shot Chiron in the butt." Selena giggled at the thought, then looked at him curiously. "Maybe mom could teach me?" She asked, and Percy smiled. He and Artemis had been engaged for less than 24 hours and Selena had already taken to calling her Mom or Mommy like it was nothing. It was cute.

Percy wrapped an arm around her. "Maybe if you asked politely. She might be able to give you a spare bow for the smaller hunters." He suggested, which excited Selena. She stayed silent though, probably planning to ask Artemis later.

As they walked, Percy noticed Artemis stumble a bit. As she fell to her knees, she clutched the side of her neck, and Percy saw a small dart sticking between her fingers. He gasped and grabbed Selena, covering her mouth and dropping the bear. While Artemis fell forward onto the ground, he pulled Selena behind a thick tree and hid, telling her to be quiet.

Percy peeked around the corner, watching as a man came out from the bushes. He had what looked to be a blowpipe, and was wearing wolf furs and relatively primitive clothes. On his head he had a silver crown with two large deer antlers protruding from it on either side.

"Well well well, word spreads quickly between the pantheons, it seems. If you're getting married, you won't need that maidenhood of yours anymore, Artemis. I'm just here to get my share." The god said, removing his bow from his shoulders and placing it on the ground. As Percy heard this, he became enraged. He took his hand from Selena's mouth and shushed her, telling her to stay quiet. She nodded, slightly scared as he left her.

Percy crept out from behind the tree and came up behind the man. He scowled as he realised the man was halfway to pulling her pants down, and he had her behind sticking up in the air. As the man reached inside his own close to pull out his manhood, Percy uncapped Riptide.

The man barely had enough time to register the noise before Percy had swept around in front of him. "The hunters send their regards." He said, plunging the now-legendary sword into the man's guts. As he ripped the sword out, ichor flowed from the wound, confirming his heritage as a god. This ichor was different, however. It looked like it was infused with green, indicating he wasn't Greek. That would probably explain the talk about pantheons, Percy deduced. Maybe Norse or Celtic?

As the god lay dead on the floor, he slowly turned to dust, meaning he was going to reform. Percy looked in sadness as Artemis was on the floor, her lower half almost undressed. He carefully grabbed her pants and, mindful not to touch her skin, pulled them up to her waist.

Now that she was decent, he called Selena out from behind the tree. She peeked out, still holding her rabbits. "Is the bad man gone?" She asked, and he nodded. "I wanna go now." She told him, slightly scared. Percy understood. "Yeah, we will. We'd better get Artemis to Apollo, or at least to the medical tent." He told her, and ushered her over.

"Here, stay with me. Bring the rabbits, we'll get the other stuff later, or I will if you don't want to come. Now, let's get mom some help." He said, and then realised he just said mom like it _was_ normal. Selena nodded, hugging the rabbits tight to her.

Percy bent down and turned Artemis on her back, before carefully grabbing her under the back and knees, before picking her up bridal style. He took the dart out and kept it, in case whoever was going to heal her needed it. The two, or three, of them quickly made their way back to the hunter's camp.

As they entered the perimeter, several hunters saw him, and immediately drew their weapons. Frightened, even though they weren't threatening her, Selena hid behind Percy. Today had been scary for her, and now the hunters had their bows aimed in her direction.

"What did you do?!" Phoebe asked in outrage, seeing her mistress unconscious in Percy's arms. "Let me explai-" He started, but was cut off by an arrow whizzing past his head. "HEY! You could've hit Selena, dumbass!" Thalia appeared, reprimanding the hunter who shot at him.

Thalia looked at Percy, then pointed to the infirmary. "Come on." She said, and he followed. "What happened?" She asked, Selena explained for him. "A bad man shot mom, and pulled her pants down while we hid. Dad killed him." She said, and Thalia's eyes widened. "What? Who?" She asked, looking up at Percy.

"A nature deity of some sort. Big deer antlers, wolf skin clothes, blowdarts. Only thing is… his ichor was green." He said, and Thalia raised an eyebrow. "We need to call Apollo." She said as Percy set Artemis down on the bed. Percy nodded, and using his Olympian power, mind-messaged Apollo.

The golden god flashed in with a pearly white smile, but that all faded as he saw Artemis on the bed. "What the Hades happened?" He asked, looking at Percy confusedly. The younger god covered his daughter's ears. "A god tried to rape Artemis, so I killed him. But he wasn't Greek, his ichor was green." He said, and Apollo's eyes narrowed.

"Did he have an antlered helmet or crown?" He asked, and Percy nodded, realising Apollo knew who this was. "Cernunnos, Celtic god of animals and the forest. He's been after Artemis since the Roman age, when our pantheons first crossed paths with the invasions of the rest of Europe and the British Isles. He thinks that due to their similar domains, he's entitled to her. I hope you took care of him real good." He said, and Percy nodded.

"Right, I'll get her set up, you mind waiting here for a little bit?" He asked, and Percy nodded. Apollo got a full medical setup ready and placed tubes into Artemis' arms, essentially trying to flush out the neurotoxin and replace it with ichor. All the while, Percy sat by Artemis' side waiting for her to wake up. Thalia had left with Selena to explain what happened to the hunt, and proclaim Percy's innocence.

After nearly two hours, Artemis' eyelids started to flutter. She opened her eyes to see her fiance and twin brother looking down at her worriedly. "How you feeling?" Percy asked, and she yawned. "I've been better. What happened?" She asked.

"Cernunnos got to you, and would've had you if Percy hadn't been there to help." He said, and Artemis looked at Percy in shock. "You saved me?" She asked, and Percy raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so surprised? Were you expecting me to join in?" He asked, and Artemis didn't answer. "Apollo, can we have a moment?" She asked, and the god looked at her with a smirk. "Sure, I'll go get Selena. Don't take too long." He winked, making Artemis blush.

When he was gone, they sat in silence for a few seconds. "Percy, thank you." She said, and he looked at her. "You're welcome." He said nonchalantly, and she glared. "No, I mean it. Without you, I wouldn't be a maiden anymore, he would have raped me. Seriously, thank you." She said, and Percy smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll be here to protect you, perks of getting me as a husband." He smirked, and she laughed. "The hunters will probably like you now, maybe even Phoebe and Atalanta." She suggested, and Percy smiled. "Good. I'll need to get on their good side to get their blessing. They're practically your daughters." He said, and Artemis agreed.

The door, or whatever you could call the flap, flew open with force as Selena charged in. "Mom!" She yelled, running up and hugging Artemis. The goddess looked down at her in shock, before pulling the girl up onto the bed to hug her tighter. Percy looked on with a smile as this family was slowly growing closer. _Maybe…_ He thought. _Just maybe… this could work._

**Okay, finished that. Again, sorry for ditching this story for a few months. I have a good idea for the next chapter, so I'll write that ASAP. A few of you seem to like this story, so I'll work on this a bit more. Shoutout to Page9900. Okay, Imma do my homework now, bye!**

**Word Count: 4135**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Guilt

**So I had the idea for this chapter so I decided to write it now (also thanks to Page9900's suggestion). Again, what kind of things do you wanna see happen in this story? I'm up for ideas. I hope you guys enjoy. I'm writing this at 1 in the morning while listening to Starset. Also, your guys' thoughts on this becoming a PercyxArtemisxAphrodite? Like they all love each other.**

Chapter 4: Guilt

The love goddess Aphrodite sat in a coffee shop wearing a nice warm sweater and had a pair of mittens. Her sweater had a pink Hello Kitty on it, and she held a cup of coffee in both hands.

She was staring at the dreamy barista, a young man who looked to be barely legal. Not that legal ever mattered to Aphrodite. If their age _wasn't_ on the clock it was fine with her. The teen noticed her staring, so she wiggled her fingers at him. She smiled goofily, and she winked as she took another sip of her coffee.

The door opened with a ring of the bell, and a young man walked in, walking up to the counter and ordering his coffee. When he made eye contact with her, he made his way across the room to sit down on the other side of her booth. The barista noticed this, and his face fell. To save this possible lay, she mouthed to him _brother_, hoping he would get the hint she wasn't dating this guy. The barista must have understood, and he brightened up almost immediately.

Percy noticed Aphrodite mouthing something to someone behind him, so he turned around to see the young barista staring in his direction giddily. He raised an eyebrow and turned back to the goddess. "You know that guy's like 16, right Aph?" He asked, and she sipped her coffee. "Where I come from, if he's thirteen he's a man. Anyway, hello to you too Percy." She said, smiling at him.

He smiled back. "Hey Aph. How've you been?" He asked, and Aphrodte filled with her fingers. "Oh, the usual. Dodging Hephaestus as much as possible. Flinging with Ares. Bugging Athena. Not much change." She said, and Percy laughed, before his face turned serious.

"I still think you should give Hephaestus a chance. He's a great guy. It's not his fault he's misshapen, it's Hera's. You should try looking at him for who he is as a person, not for what he looks like. Maybe then you can lose your status as Olympus' court thot. Besides, you never even gave him a chance to make it work, as soon as you were married you were off banging every guy _except_ him. Imagine how he feels about that." Percy attempted.

Aphrodite scoffed. "I felt that way about you. You were off screwing the brains out of everyone _except me _after Annabeth dumped you. Not to mention my feelings for you, that was like 10 times worse than just being in the friendzone alone." She frowned, drawing smiley faces on her cup out of thin air.

Percy frowned. "Aph, that was different. We're friends, not to mention you're also married to a close friend. Doing you would be like me doing someone like Piper or Hazel or Calypso or Katie." He told her, and Aph had to pretend she knew more than half those people.

"Yeah, but you _did_ do Calypso, when you were like 15. It was a good show." She smirked, winking at him, to which Percy's face paled. "And anyway, I'm sure you and my daughter had some form of relationship." She continued, and Percy cringed. "No! They were dating before I even met them. That goes against who I am as god of loyalty." He said, and Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh right, that." She said.

Percy heard his name being called, so he went up and paid. Aphrodite handed him a few bucks to pay for it, and in between them she had sandwiched a small slip of paper with her number on it. The guy noticed it, and grinned over at her.

Percy returned. "But anyways, you had me eventually, and that was fun. I'm just glad it didn't ruin our friendship." He said, and Aphrodite smiled at the memories. Percy continued. "Like I said, you should give Hephaestus a chance. If you saw who he was on the inside, you might find him the most attractive man you've ever met." He said.

Aphrodite sighed. "Percy, we've been over this. _You_ are the most attractive man I've ever met. I still don't understand why we can't be together. We both like each other!" She said, sad. Percy also looked sad.

"Aph, you're right, we have been over this. I do find you attractive, one of if not the most beautiful woman I've ever met, equal to Artemis. I like you not just for your body, but for who you are. When we first started hanging out, I didn't expect to find the amazing woman I know today, but I did. I found a side that you never showed to anyone, not even Ares." Aphrodite smiled at him hopefully.

Percy sipped his cup. "But I know you. You sleep with guys because it brings you the biggest pleasure. It's who you are. My domains make it so I am incapable of betrayal or cheating, your domain makes it so you're practically malnourished without sex like 3 times a day." He said, and the goddess clasped his hands in her own.

"But you can give that to me, Percy. You're all I need. After our night together I didn't sleep with another man for two whole weeks! An eternity with you and I'll never sleep with another man again." She said, and Percy shook his head. "No, you'll cheat on me anyway. Even if I allow it, I don't think I can deal with the idea that every time you come home, you're coming from another man's bed. I'm sorry." He said, and Aphrodite had tears in her eyes.

"But… but Percy… I can change… for you…." She pleaded, but Percy shook his head. It hurt him to have to do this to his best friend. "I'm sorry Aph. I'm getting married, we're best friends, and I can't fully trust that you'll remain faithful. It just can't be." He said, and Aphrodite wiped her eyes, replenishing the mascara once the tears were gone.

"Oh right, Artemis…." She said, staring out the window with an annoyed expression on her face. She was still upset that that _prude _took away her only chance with Percy. He would never cheat on his wife, therefore he could never be with her. Seriously, she'd been trying to set her up with guys for millennia, and now she comes and takes the one guy Aphrodite wants for herself.

Percy cleared his throat, trying to change the subject. "So, is Ares treating you well?" He asked, and Aphrodite grasped her coffee again. "You know him, he's territorial. He hasn't… he hasn't hit me in a long time, but he came close to it when he found out we slept together." She said, staring sadly into her cup.

Percy grasped his angrily. He had always hated how Ares treated her. He used her like a tool, his sexdoll. Then when she turned around and slept with another guy, which she was allowed to do since the two weren't dating, Ares would beat the guy to near death.

Thankfully Ares had never come after Percy, having learned his lesson that he couldn't beat a poorly trained twelve year old version of him.

"You should stay away from him. Nothing good can come out of your guys' relationship. It's unhealthy." He told her, and Aphrodite hummed in agreement. "Yeah, but… I don't know. What am I supposed to do? Go up to him and say _hey, stop coming to my place like every day for sex, I don't like it_? That's hardly gonna get through his thick head."

Percy nodded. "Exactly! Well, maybe the wording could be better. If he gives you trouble, just mind-message me. I have a feeling the guy's afraid of me." He said, and Aphrodite giggled.

"How's Selena?" She asked, resting her head on one hand as she thought of the girl who was practically a daughter to her. Percy smiled. "She's great. She gets along with the hunters really well. She's taken to calling Artemis 'mom' already, and she's learning archery right now." He said, and she smiled. "That's good. I'm proud of her for taking that up." She said truthfully.

In reality, Aphrodite was hurt that Artemis had become Selena's mother. She thought she and the daughter of Perseus had a closer bond than that. She told herself there was nothing she could do. Just as Percy could never be hers, Selena could never see her as a mother.

Percy hummed. "She's shaken up at the moment. We had an incident a few days ago." He said, and the goddess raised an eyebrow. "Which was?" She asked, and Percy cleared his throat.

"We were out hunting and we were returning to camp with our catch when Artemis was shot in the net with a tranq dart. I hid Selena and I behind a tree and we watched as a man came out and tried to rape Artemis. It turned out to be a celtic god of the forest, and I killed him. But still, the shock and fear she got from hding behind that tree with her mouth covered while someone hurt her mom really scared her." He said sadly.

Aphrodite pouted. "Aw, now I just wanna give her a hug. How is Artemis, anyway?" She asked absentmindedly. Percy smiled. "She's fine. It was just a tranq dart. The situation is… going well. Its gotten to the point where she doesn't dislike, and even allows things like hugging and holding hands. Marriage is gonna be hard on her." He said.

Aphrodite smirked. "You smashed?" She asked, and Percy choked on his coffee. "Wh- uh, no. No. We've slept together but-" He was cut off by Aphrodite. "You slept together? OMG this is great!" She exclaimed, actually excited that Artemis lost her virginity. Percy shushed her quickly. "No! No! We didn't _sleep_ together, we just went to sleep in the same bed." He clarified, and the excitement in her eyes dwindled.

"Oh that's all? Well when are you gonna smash?" She asked, and Percy blushed. He muttered something under his breath. She raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?" She said, and Percy spoke up. "Never." He exclaimed, putting on a chill face.

Aphrodite looked at him with shock written on her face. "Wha- why? Oh, oh, no no no no. She is _not _seriously sticking to that whole eternal virgin thing, is she?" She asked, outraged. Percy swallowed and nodded, and Aphrodite put her head in her arms. "What the hell is wrong with her? She steals the most perfect man in the world and she's not even fucking him." She muttered.

Then she looked up as something dawned on her. "Wait, if you can't cheat on her, but you also can't bang her, then…" She trailed off, putting the pieces together. Percy finished it for her. "I will be chaste for eternity." He said, and Aphrodite went slack-jawed.

"What the fuck is wrong with her!?" She glared, and Percy cringed at her tone. "Aph, its fine, it really is, I-"

"No! Its not fucking okay Percy! You're going to waste! She's pushing her virgin agenda onto you! Its not even just a personal thing. Do you know how weak she'll be making Olympus through this? You are the head of the next generation, Percy. Your children will be insanely powerful, but thanks to her you're not gonna have any children and Olympus will slowly deteriorate!" She almost shrieked, and Percy shushed her desperately.

"Aph, it's fine. I'm voluntarily doing it." He said, but she wasn't done. "Not only that, but she steals the man I love and then has the audacity to blue-balls him for eternity?! This is fucking outrageous! I have half a mind to tie her down and shove-" she was silenced by Percy slamming his fist down on the table.

The barista looked over at then worriedly, but stayed out of it. Percy glared at Aphrodite. "I don't appreciate my fiance being threatened in such a way." He said pointedly, but Aphrodite was unphased. "Do you wanna do it?" She asked.

Percy's eyes widened. "What?" He asked, and Aphrodite stared at him knowingly. "Do you really wanna remain chaste for eternity? To never feel the touch of a woman again?" She asked, and Percy immediately knew the answer.

He shakily pulled his hand towards himself from on the table and shook his head. "No. No, I don't. I am a god. I want to breed and have lots of kids, not just Selena. I want to feel the pleasure you get from sex. I don't want to give that up. I know I sound like a pig, but when I'm reminded of my situation, it just makes me even more desperate." He admitted.

Aphrodite looked at him sadly. "Just tell her that." She advised, but Percy shook his head. "It's not as simple as that, Aph. She's a maiden goddess. She'd never permit me to sleep with other women, but she'd never give up her own maidenhood to me. I don't want to do this, but if I speak up, I'm scared of what she'll do. I… I'm scared that she'll hurt me, or ostracize me."

He looked at his cooling coffee. "I… I don't know how to say no… I'm _scared _to say no." He admitted.

He took a huge swig of his drink. "It's not even the no-sex that gets me. It's the fact that I can't say no that's messing with me. When she said she didn't like the idea of sex, I just vowed away my right to lust. Sure, maybe I could go without sex if I was a virgin like the hunters, but I've had sex, and I fucking _enjoy_ it. It's one of the best feelings I've ever had, and I'm just giving it away. For what?! Because I'm _scared_!" He admitted, on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and moved across to sit beside him, before taking him into her arms. Percy shook in her arms. "I like her Aph, I really do. I think it can work, but I'm so scared, and all the fucking stress is getting to me." He said, pulling her closer.

Aphrodite stroked his hair. "Tell her how you feel, Percy. Tell her that you don't want to remain chaste, and that she should at least permit you to sleep with other women. She owes you that, at least." She said, and Percy shook. "But what if she gets mad? What if she hurts me?" He asked.

Aphrodite kissed the top of his head. "I will be watching. If she lashes out, I will be there to protect you. I know you could never bring yourself to hurt or fight back against her, but I will fight her in your place. I will protect you, Percy." She soothed, and he calmed in her arms.

In the next booth over, staring at the wall, Artemis pondered over what she'd heard with a guilty expression. She'd come here to make sure Percy didn't cheat on her with Aphrodite, having finished her training with Selena a while ago, but during her eavesdropping she had heard many things she wished she never had.

She flashed out of the booth, alerting both Percy and Aphrodite that someone had been there, but they didn't care too much. She flashed up to Olympus, specifically to one of the gardens of Demeter. She sat down on a wooden bench, where she had a clear view off of Olympus and to the skies beyond.

She thought about all she had heard, and she felt extremely guilty. Aphrodite was right, she had pushed her ideals onto Percy without even fully considering how he felt. When she made the decision, she was thinking of him as just another man, but things had changed over the past few days. She realised Percy was so much more than that. He was loyal, kind, strong, polite, and he was likely the only man she would ever bring herself with respect.

She had essentially pressured him into giving up something he liked, how was it any different from just cutting off his manhood? Sure, he offered to do it, but as she just heard, he clearly didn't want to. Now she was at a loss.

Not to mention what Aphrodite had said. She had never heard the love goddess admit such things before, and with such emotion! Perhaps Aphrodite did really have feelings for or even love Percy, but they couldn't be together. Why? Because of her, because of Artemis.

Aphrodite had even offered to stay faithful, and somehow, deep down, Artemis believed her. You could never trust the love goddess with something like that, but something about the way she said just made Artemis reconsider that. If Aphrodite was truly willing to give up sex blitzkrieg, maybe she really _did_ love Percy, and Artemis hated the thought that _she_ was the one getting in the way of love, that she was preventing Aphrodite and Percy from being happy.

Artemis sat there for a few hours, lost in her thoughts. As the sun went down, she flashed back to her tent, shocking Percy a little bit. She was about to speak, but she noticed the small body on his chest. He put a finger over his lips, then whispered to her. "She was tired."

She bit her lip and looked to the side. "Can we talk somewhere private?" She asked, and he nodded. "My palace is empty. I'll leave her here." He told her, and Artemis nodded. Percy grasped her shoulder, since she could only flash into his palace with his permission, and they disappeared.

They appeared in Percy's room, and the two of them sat on the bed. "So, what did you wanna talk about?" He asked, and Artemis looked down shamefully. "Percy, are you scared of me?" She asked, and Percy's eyes widened. "What?" He asked, and she looked at him.

"I… I heard your conversation with Aphrodite and… I'm sorry. I didn't fully take into consideration how you felt and what you wanted. I just decided what I would do and didn't let us try to mediate, I just pressured you into going with my plan." She said, and Percy shook his head. "No, Artemis, I decided to go chaste. I did it of my own free will." He tried, but Artemis didn't listen.

"But you _wouldn't_ have if you weren't getting married to me. If- If you were getting married to Aphrodite or someone you would be happy!" She said, and Percy frowned. "So you heard that part too, huh?" Artemis nodded, and Percy sighed.

"I told you how Aph and I slept together, but what I didn't tell you is that we weren't just fuckbuddies. We became close, and Aph gained feelings for me. I think I also grew to like her, but I refused any relationship with her. She was my friend, and I wasn't sure she would refrain from breaking my heart. I didn't want to take that risk. I still don't." He admitted, and Artemis stared at her hands.

"So you like her?" She asked, slightly hurt. Percy sighed. "Yes. I do like her. Do I love her, I don't know, and I never will. But… that's in the past. You and I are gonna get married, and hopefully _we _will come to love each other." He said finally, and the two of them sat there in silence.

After a few minutes, Artemis opened her eyes, glossy with tears. "Percy, I'm sorry. I feel so guilty. I want this marriage to work, I don't want us to be unhappy. If we need to sex to be happy, I… I will give up my maidenhood to you, and only you." She spoke.

Percy's jaw dropped, and they were silent for a moment, then Percy's face turned sad, and he dropped down to one knee on the floor. He knelt in front of her, and took her hand. "Artemis, I promise you, I will never take your maidenhood unless you truly want it. As god of loyalty, I swear on the Styx never to sleep with Artemis until she wholeheartedly desires it, and I beseech the Fates to bestow upon me the power to recognize such desire should the day ever come." He vowed, and Artemis was on the verge of crying.

She launched forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his neck. "Thank you, Percy. Thank you." She repeated, and Percy smiled. "It's no problem Artemis. Just doing my part as the god of loyalty, I would never hurt you." He promised, and she smiled into his neck. "Thank you."

They sat there for a while, hugging on the floor, before Percy came up with an idea. "You wanna watch a movie?" He asked, and Artemis chuckled, before parting from the hug. "Yes, that would be nice." She decided, and they stood up. The two of them got onto the bed and utilised Percy's Netflix subscription, waiting for the inevitable IM from Thalia saying that Selena had woken up and wanted them.

**So I wrote that pretty quickly. Like 24 hours. I hope you enjoyed that Pertemis at the end. No, I'm not making Percy selfish and having him take her virginity even though she doesn't really want to. Again, I ask you if I should make Aphrodite join the relationship. I got 2 saying yes and 2 saying no so far. Also, any ideas for what should happen in this story? I need content! How did you like this chapter?**

**Word Count: 3686**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Why Am I So Comfortable?

**Yo, One Direction songs are lowkey all bops.**

Chapter 5: Why Am I So Comfortable?

Thankfully Selena had already had dinner by the time Percy and Artemis got back, and she'd gone to bed in Artemis' tent. They really had no idea what to do, so the two of them just returned to Percy's palace to watch more movies together. They chose to watch Thor Ragnarok.

Percy found it to be a good movie, but Artemis was scoffing and talking about how the real Thor was nothing like how Chris Hemsworth portrayed him. The real Thor was just an asshole.

Halfway through the movie, there was a pink flash, and Aphrodite stood there with tears running down her face and clutching one arm. She looked as if she was about to say something, but when she saw Artemis she shut her mouth and looked away, making to leave. "Aphrodite." Surprisingly it was Artemis who called. "What's wrong?" She asked.

The goddess hesitated for a moment, shocked that Artemis actually cared for her, but she swallowed that surprise. "A-Ares." She muttered softly, and Percy stood up. "What did that bastard do?" He asked, infuriated. Aphrodite bit her lip. "He found out we had coffee together yesterday. After you got engaged to Artemis, or as he thinks, 'stole' her, he really hates you. He… he assumed I was 'w-whoring' myself out to you, and he h-hit m-me." She quietened towards the end, but Percy was fuming.

"That son of a-" He said, making his way towards the door. Not a really logical move, since he could flash, but Artemis had already flashed in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Percy, save it. Aphrodite needs you right now, be there for her." She said, nodding over to the crying goddess. The love deity smiled and nodded gratefully at her, to which Artemis just smiled back.

Percy calmed himself down, taking a few deep breaths. "You're right. Sorry. Come here." He said, pulling Aphrodite in for a hug. She hugged back, crying into his shoulder while Artemis sat back down on the bed. As she cried, she confessed everything else Ares had done to him, making both Percy and Artemis stare in shock. Some of the things he'd done were absolutely horrid. Artemis could barely comprehend that that _thing_ was her brother.

By the time she was done, Percy was once more considering paying Ares a visit, but chose to hold off for now. "Do you wanna watch a movie with us?" He offered, gesturing to the bed. Aphrodite paused and looked at Artemis, as if waiting for confirmation. Feeling sympathy for the goddess, considering she had gone through things that turned most girls in hunters, she smiled reassuringly, and patted the spot next to her.

Percy led Aphrodite to the bed and they sat down, the two goddesses on either side of Percy. Aphrodite was cuddled into his side, whilst Artemis was merely leaning on his shoulder. Still, it made Percy feel good, having a movie night with his fiance and best friend. It made him feel even better that Artemis was actually getting along with Aphrodite for once. He was expecting her to just roll her eyes or something, but she truly looked sympathetic when Aphrodite told her story, and seemed genuine when she invited the goddess to stay.

They watched a total of three movies that night, before both goddesses were asleep on him. For some reason, Artemis had snuggled into his chest sometime during the second movie, which made him feel warm inside.

Still, Perseus had something to do.

He gently slid out from under them, laying them down and tucking the two goddesses in quietly. The god slid out of the room in the night, onto the cold Olympus streets.

A short while later, a certain god of war was asleep, still pissed off about what Aphrodite had done. He still thought she was sleeping with Perseus behind his back, taking him for a fool. There was a loud _tap_ noise, which jolted him awake from his dream. He stared at his window with narrowed eyes, suspicious. He kept his eyes on the window and trees behind it.

Deciding after a while that there was nothing, he rolled onto his back, only to be met with sea-green eyes.

Percy crept back into his bedroom and placed a gold-stained helmet on his shelf. It was bronze, with a large red plume on top, and made a good trophy.

He then left again to the hunter's camp, entering Artemis' tent. He approached the small form lying on the bed and smiled, before gently picking her up and resting her head on his shoulders. Careful not to wake the sleeping girl, he covered her eyes and flashed them back to his palace.

The two goddesses were still asleep, and he somehow managed to crawl in between them and under the blankets. Carefully, he pulled the little girl onto his chest before pulling his fiance and friend closer to him and falling asleep.

Artemis woke up in the morning, her face mere inches from the love goddess'. She looked up, and noticed she had grown almost uncomfortably close to Percy. Her head had been rested on her chest, and her left arm and leg were nearly on the _other side_ of him. What the Hades was up with her?

Across from her, she noticed Aphrodite's open slightly as she smirked, and the goddess winked at her before shutting her eyes again and pretending to sleep. Artemis rolled her eyes, and turned her head downwards, where she caught sight of a tiny female Percy, sleeping soundly on her father's chest.

Artemis smiled and reached out, gently stroking a lock of black hair from out of the little girl's face. Selena smiled, but did not stir or wake, instead softly breathing as she remained in the land of Morpheus.

As she lay there, wondering why she was still in this position, she felt Percy's breathing pattern change slightly, before he opened his eyes and yawned. He looked down at the two goddesses in his arms and gave that signature Percy Jackson grin. "Morning, ladies" He said, making Artemis blush as she realised he'd caught her in this position.

Aphrodite pretended she was just waking up, purring slightly as she stretched, careful not to wake Selena. "Good morning, Percy. Did you sleep well?" She asked innocently, and he smirked. "Oh I slept just fine." He said, his eyes darting over behind Artemis. Suspicious, she rolled over; and her jaw dropped in shock. "Is that Ares' helmet?"

Aphrodite sat up, her jaw also slack. Percy nodded, rubbing Selena's back soothingly. "Yeah, when you two went to sleep, I paid him a little visit. Then I got Selena and came back here." He informed them. At the mention of her name, the daughter of Perseus stirred. Aphrodite began to cry again, before jumping into his arms, now waking Selena. "Thank you, Percy." She sobbed, and he patted her back softly while providing her with soothing words.

Selena stretched out like a cat on top of Percy, before looking at the three of them. "I'm hungry." She pouted, crawling closer to her father tiredly. Percy chuckled. "Dad doesn't feel like cooking. What kind of pizza do you want?" He asked, and Selena smiled satisfactorily. "Hawaiian." She said, and two of the three gods cringed. "I don't know what it is with you and pineapples." Percy said, slightly disgusted.

Aphrodite sat up, grabbing Selena's spare hairbrush to rid herself of bed hair. "I like pineapple. It's good for you." She said absentmindedly, and Percy shrugged. "Whatever. What do you guys want?" He asked. "Meatlovers." Aphrodite winked teasingly, and Percy rolled his eyes, before turning to Artemis. The moon goddess cringed slightly. "Meatlovers, but apparently not for the same reason." She said, glancing towards Aphrodite. "Also, why are we having pizza for breakfast?" She asked.

Percy smirked. "Artemis, one thing you're gonna learn by marrying me, I can have pizza whenever the Hades I want, it is my godly right." He joked, and Artemis rolled her eyes. Percy stood up, remembering their orders. "Ok, I'mma go order it. You guys get yourselves ready." He told them, getting out of bed and heading towards the kitchen. Aphrodite, once done with her own hair, beckoned Selena over so she could do hers for her. The little girl happily sat in front of the love goddess as she brushed her hair while humming a melodious tune.

Artemis made her way into the adjoining bathroom and cleaned herself up. She decided to be lazy and use the less-effective method of just snapping her fingers to do her hair and change. In the end, she came out looking like she was going to have a lazy day. She wore sweatpants and a sweater, since it was too cold to wear just a shirt but too hot to wear both.

Selena's hair was finished, and she was just leaving the room to find Percy. Artemis sat down on the bed, pulling out her phone and scrolling through various text messages. 47 requests, likely all suitors. If anyone she liked wanted to text her, they'd tell her to add them. She tapped into Apollo's contact profile, and he had sent her a photo.

As she opened it, she smiled slightly. It was a picture he had taken of her, Selena and Percy, sitting by the campfire with the other hunters, but it was zoomed in so you couldn't see them. It had been taken the only hours after Artemis had almost been raped, just after dinner, and Artemis had been tired. She raised an eyebrow at her past self, seeing that her head was rested on Percy's shoulder as he eyelids dropped slightly, and Selena was hugged close to her chest.

Not that present-Artemis seemed to be acting any different.

There was a text to go along with the photo, which read _stuck around to make sure Percy behaved while you were hurt and caught this gem. You guys look cute. You'll be a great mom. :)_

Artemis smirked at her twin's message, and texted, which was uncommon. Usually she left him on seen or merely gave a _k_. This time she wrote _Thanks, but don't sneak around my camp. We have wolves, and even worse, girls. Selena likes you btw. Also don't get the wrong idea about me n percy. I was tired._ She corrected him, receiving a text back in less than 20 seconds.

_sure, lil sis. (;_

Artemis rolled her eyes. Before typing back. _Unlike in real life, I can block you on here, dork._ She said, which got no reply. Since text was different than face-to-face, she briefly got the idea that he was hurt, and quickly typed out _really, thanks for the photo. It's good._ Trying to save the conversation. Apollo was back immediately, speedily typing out _no problem, sis. I ain't gonna be your wedding photographer tho, I got best man, or at least groomsman._

Artemis rolled her eyes. _You can be a bridesmaid if Percy has actual friends._ She reassured him, and he left only a _:( I'm hurt, little sis._

Deciding to end this, she typed out a _Dad doesn't care about cyberbullying, I'd like to see you do something about it._ Before turning her phone off.

Aphrodite stopped humming while she did her makeup in the mirror. "You're lucky, you know that. Percy's a great guy." She closed her makeup kit and came over to sit beside her. Getting that message from Aphrodite made her feel guilty, so she looked away. "I know what you said to Percy yesterday. I'm sorry. If I could, I'd stay out of the way." She said, and the love goddess tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" Aphrodite asked, making Artemis sigh. "Don't play dumb, Aphrodite. I know you have feelings for Percy, and he has some for you. I'm trying to say sorry for getting in between you two." She said, and the goddess dropped her brush to the floor. "Percy… has feelings for me?" She asked, and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Yeah… did you not know that?" She asked.

The love goddess took a deep breath, then sat up again. "Let's move on. I'm surprised you're starting to like this. I know you're bi, not gay, but I always thought a girl would be the one to steal your heart, not the hero of Olympus." She teased, making Artemis blush. "He hasn't 'stolen my heart'. I'm just trying to make this bearable for the both of us."

Then something dawned on her. "Wait, how did you know I was bi?" She asked, incredulous. Artemis had known for thousands of years, but told few people, least of all the slut of Olympus. "I'm the love goddess, dear Arty. It's my specialty, from one bi to another." She said, gesturing with her hands to the two of them.

"But seriously, I'm sorry." Artemis said, making Aphrodite sigh. "It's fine. If it has to happen so your father's will stop fighting, so be it. Just… take care of him." She gave a pointed glance to her, and Artemis nodded. "Of course." Aphrodite then smirked. "Hey, you doing anything tonight?" She asked, and Artemis raised an eyebrow. It sounded like she was about to get asked out on a date.

"Uh, no. Why?" She asked, and Aphrodite smirked. "Good, you and I are gonna have some fun. Don't worry, I'm not gonna get you laid or anything. Just us two hanging out. A mini bachelorette party, if you will. If you're gonna marry my friend, I wanna get to know you more. Plus, it'll be funny if Diana woke up tomorrow with a headache." She winked.

Artemis blinked. She'd forgotten that the next day was the monthly Roman festival. It was a day put aside every month to let the Roman aspects of Olympus take the reigns and stretch their legs, socialize and other such things. It was also a day that Camp Jupiter designated as their Olympian honorary day. They would feast and party all day long in honor of their gods. Basically a day off for everyone who wasn't on guard duty. Every year, or 12th Roman Festival, would be even more special, where the Roman gods gained control for a whole week and all sorts of games and contests were held at Camp Jupiter, of which the gods were always in attendance. It was like a Roman Olympics.

The annual Roman Festival, or Magna Convivium (great celebration/party), was next month, so Diana likely wouldn't be doing much tomorrow except hunting, that is until a thought crossed Artemis' Mind.

"Oh gods, Diana and Perses have met before, but they'll probably tear each other apart, tomorrow." She worried. Neither Roman god liked the idea of marriage, not even Perses after he was forced to sit back and watch his Greek form nearly lose himself thanks to what Annabeth did. She knew he was just trying to protect Percy, but she worried how far Perses might go to do so. Hopefully their mutual respect of power would come in handy when they next met.

Aphrodite shrugged. "Well, I can't promise anything, but Venus might step in if things get out of hand. She is unpredictable though, and she'll likely get _distracted_. But let's not worry about that now, let's have some breakfast." She said, heading for the door. Artemis sighed, getting up and following her, putting the Roman problem out of her mind.

They did not do much that day. Realising that she had been absent for days, Percy rushed to get Selena ready for preschool. This included letting her have a five minute shower, turning breakfast into a game of _who can eat fastest_ and finally Aphrodite just snapping her fingers to make Selena look presentable before he quickly flashed her out to drop her off. Of course, not before she got a goodbye hug from the two goddesses.

Percy arrived nearly fifteen minutes later, out of his mind with fatigue. He flopped down on the couch next to Aphrodite while Artemis sat on the lazyboy. He rubbed his face tiredly and sunk further into the couch. "Selena's teacher wanted to know why she had been absent for so long without explanation. I hope you don't mind Artemis, but I told her Selena's mother had come back from Greece, and in all the confusion I forgot to notify her preschool." He said.

Artemis blushed at the thought of being Selena's mother, but nodded. "It's cool." She said, but Percy shook his head. "Unfortunately, Selena's vocal, so the teacher knows Selena never knew her mother. As you can probably guess, the teacher assumed Selena's mother was some stranger I met on a night out, which is correct, and that Selena would never meet or know her real mother. She wants to meet you, 'get to know the parents'. Basically she needs proof that Selena's not skipping, cause it is illegal for a child to not get a proper education." He explained.

Artemis nodded, swallowing. "Well, Diana won't want to, and after that it's the weekend, so how about now, I guess?" She said, and Percy nodded. "Yeah, sure. Gods, I forgot about tomorrow. Perses is gonna be pissed that I've got a 'girlfriend' again. He takes bros before hoes real seriously." He said, standing up. Artemis followed his lead, and nodded. "Aphrodite and I already talked about that. Maybe Venus will watch us, but I'll probably just call Hestia later to get Vesta to check in every once in a while. Let's go." She said.

He nodded, and Aphrodite stood. "Well, I'd better get going. Artemis, I'll see you later tonight." She said with a wink. After Percy looked at the two of them with a raised eyebrow, Aphrodite explained. "_I_ am taking Artemis for a girl's night out later. Just the two of us hanging out and getting to know each other. Don't worry, I'll keep her away from other guys." She said, and Percy stood. "I doubt it, but I trust Artemis not to get drugged. I need to hang out with my friends anyway. Shall we go, milady?" He asked with a smirk, holding his arm out.

The two of them flashed out to Selena's preschool while Aphrodite just left through the front door. Artemis was slightly nervous about doing this. It would be her first time _officially_ being considered a mother. Sure, Selena liked to call her mom, but even the daughter of Perseus knew she wasn't her actual mother. Artemis briefly wondered if her name would go on Selena's mortal profile under her mother. What would her last name be? Or maiden name, since she _was_ getting married to Percy Jackson.

Artemis Jackson. It sounded nice.

Percy took her hand, trying to sell the act, and led her into the school. They walked to the section designated for younger kids, and to a specific room. He knocked on the door, and after a few seconds a young woman opened it. "Mr Jackson, you're back." She said with a sweet smile, then she looked at Artemis and her eyes widened. "Is this…"

Percy cleared his throat. "Lisa, I'd like you to meet Selena's mother and my fiance, Artemis Olympia." Artemis smiled as best she could and held out her hand, which was promptly shook. "Fiance? I was under the impression you arrived only a few days ago." She said, and Percy nodded. "Uh, yeah, don't worry about it." He said, trying to sound as polite as possible.

The teacher shrugged. "Eh, it's not my place to judge the relationships of parents. Would you like to come inside and see how your daughter is getting along?" She asked, and Artemis nodded. "That would be nice." She said, following Percy and the teacher into the noisy classroom.

Selena was in a corner, reading a book by herself. She looked tired, leaning her head against the wall, and it seemed as if the noise was annoying her. Artemis approached her while Percy stayed to talk with the teacher, and she crouched down next to her.

The little girl noticed her and smiled. "Hi." She said softly, and Artemis smiled back. "Hey, you look sleepy." She said, and Selena nodded. "I wanna go home." She said, and Artemis had to shake her head. "Sorry, but you need to go to school. When you get home you can sleep all you want, but for now you need to stay here." She said, and Selena nodded sadly. "Okay."

Artemis looked down at the book. "What are you reading?" She asked, and Selena shook her head. "I'm looking at the pictures. I can't read. Daddy said he couldn't either." She said, and Artemis chuckled slightly. "Of course, Demigod Dyslexia. Here." She said, taking the book and sitting down next to her.

Tired, Selena rested her head on her new mother's shoulder. Artemis opened the book to the first page and began to read.

**So, I thought I'll leave it there. Originally I was gonna include Artemis and Aph's night out, but that can probably be next chapter. Then the one after that shall be the Roman Festival, or rather Perses and Diana confronting cause I'm probably not gonna have the actual festival in that chapter. In a later chapter, I'll do the Magna Convivium, but not for a while.**

**Okay, I'm not gonna count the votes, there's around 60 on and on wattpad it was like 5-3. I did scroll through the reviews and it was clearly a majority in favor of Aphrodite joining them, so I'm gonna do that. I'm sorry if you're unhappy with this, but it's my story. If it makes the story unbearable for you, stop reading, but to be fair she's not gonna join for quite a few chapters.**

**Word Count: 3669 (Nice)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Girls Night Out

**The start of Artemis and Aphrodite's friendship/relationship. This chapter isn't gonna be too long, but I wanted to get some (Aphtemis? Artedite? Aphrotemis?) bonding in. **

Chapter 6: Girls Night Out

Artemis stared at her reflection in the mirror as it drew closer to 7. She looked decent, she hadn't dressed up or dolled herself or anything like that. She just wore some blue skinny jeans and a silver blouse, though she had changed from boots to grey sneakers. Her hair was braided over her shoulder, and the only jewellery she wore was a silver bracelet and crescent-moon necklace.

She didn't want to dress too formal or look like she was trying to impress someone, that wasn't the kind of person she was. Aphrodite just wanted to spend some time with her as friends, she wasn't trying to get Artemis laid.

As she stood there thinking, a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps this was all a ruse. Perhaps… Perhaps Aphrodite would drug her or do some freaky love mind control thing to get her to cheat on Percy so he'd hate her, then the love goddess could have him all to herself.

_No_, she told herself. Aphrodite would not do that. If she really did have mind control, she would have used it millenia ago to get Artemis to ride every man she saw. But drugs did exist….

There was a knock on the door, and it creaked open. "Hey, Arty. You ready?" The voice of Aphrodite could be heard as she entered the room. As the goddess got a good look at Artemis, she sighed. "Alright, this isn't gonna work." She said, and Artemis looked down at herself. "What isn't?"

Aphrodite was wearing an emerald green dress that went down to her ankles. It looked expensive, and had slits down the side from her mid-thighs, showing over her legs. To put it in perspective, she looked like she completely outclassed Artemis, and that slightly annoyed the huntress.

Aphrodite crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "That outfit won't hold up where we're going. You need to clean up." She said, snapping her fingers. Artemis felt a worrying breeze for a second, before she could feel a new fabric touching her skin.

She looked back in the mirror, and her eyes widened. Aphrodite had changed her outfit, and now she looked… pretty good if she had to be honest. Her outfit consisted of a silver dress that hugged her skin, showing off all her curves. It was strapless and appeared to be made of silk, and on top of that she was now wearing silver heels, giving her the height boost she kinda needed but not really.

Artemis had to thank Aphrodite on one thing, she hadn't removed her jewellery or applied makeup, at least making her look slightly natural.

She turned to the love goddess with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, what is this about?" She asked, and Aphrodite clapped her hands. "Arty, this is a girls night out. How are we supposed to have any fun if everyone's looking at you like you're beneath them?" She asked, and Artemis scoffed. "I am a goddess, you think I care what they think?" She asked, and Aphrodite frowned. "Spiders exist and live underneath our pillows at night because Athena cared what someone thought." She said ominously.

Artemis sighed, and shook her head. "Fine, let's just go, but first…" She made her way to the door then turned to look Aphrodite in the eye. "Aphrodite, we're doing this as friends, and I'm asking you this as a friend. Please, please don't try and get me to sleep with someone, or attempt to ruin my relationship with Percy in any way." She asked sincerely.

Aphrodite smirked. "I was under the impression you didn't care about your relationship with Percy? And that you'd prefer it if the whole engagement was ruined?" She asked with a hint of mischief in her voice. Artemis blushed, and struggled to find a retort. "I… I don't want to be married, but- but if I cheat on him Percy will find a way to get Zeus to call of the marriage, and my father will likely just marry me off to Triton or something to keep the peace with Poseidon. I don't think Triton will be as kind as Percy has been to me, so I want to keep this relationship good so this marriage can be happy. Please don't ruin it, because if you ruin my engagement to Percy you are likely indirectly getting me raped." She said, holding her arm close to her, embarrassed.

Aphrodite smiled softly, before warmly engulfing the moon goddess in a hug. She stood there in shock for a few seconds before hugging back, resting her head in the elder goddess' neck. Aphrodite pulled away and grabbed Artemis' face, staring her in the eye. "Artemis, I swear to you on the Styx that I will _never_ do anything to damage your relationship with Percy. I may love him… but I am willing to distance myself if it means you'll be happy, just as I was willing to give up sleeping around if it meant I could be with him. I'm experienced, I've loved before, you are a blooming flower, on your first experience in the joy of love. How could I be so cruel to tear that away for a man?" She vowed, and as thunder rumbled in the distance, Artemis smiled. As she closed her eyes for a few seconds then opened them again, Aphrodite could see the vague ghost of tears. "Thank you. I never thought I'd hear such a thing from you. Thank you." She said.

The two goddesses hugged, before they agreed it was time to go. They walked downstairs and into the living room, which was empty. In the adjoined kitchen on the counter, Artemis found a note from Percy.

_Selena's being watched by Hestia, she's gonna stay there for the night so don't worry about getting her or anything. I'm with my demigod friends on Olympus, at that bar I forget the name of. You know the one, the only one on Olympus. You girls have fun, try not to get into any shenanigans._

_-Percy :)_

Artemis smiled at the note before looking over at Aphrodite, who stood by the door. "Let's go," She beckoned her over, and the goddess of the hunt walked over for a night out.

Almost as soon as she had shut the front door, Aphrodite had grasped Artemis' shoulder and flashed them away. Artemis looked around when they arrived, only to find that she had been transported to an alleyway. She looked at the love goddess with an eyebrow raised. "I thought you were against getting your shoes dirty?" She said, noting the trash on the pavement below them.

Aph took her hand and quickly brought her out onto the sidewalk, away from the darkness. To answer Artemis' question, she snapped her fingers and their shoes were good as new. As Artemis looked to their right to see a long line and one tough looking man standing guard, she instantly knew what kind of setting they were in and groaned. Aph rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be such a crybaby. I know the owner." She said, taking the moon goddess' hand.

They cut past everyone else, and the bouncer stopped them before they could enter. "And who are you?" He asked, and Artemis did not speak up. Her new friend would handle this. Aphrodite looked at him pleasantly. "I'm a friend of Alice's." She tried, but the man shook his head. "Yeah, okay. Get to the back." He said, jabbing a thumb to his left.

There was a sharp _tsk, tsk, tsk_ coming from behind the man. "Vincent, that's not how we treat my friends, is it?" And alluring voice spoke, and the man paled. "Miss Alice, I assumed they were lying. You never said you had people coming." He said, and a woman stepped out from behind the door.

She was wearing a dress similar to Aphrodite, and her hair was a light shade of blonde that ran down her shoulders and bounced slightly at the end. The woman, Alice, looked at the two of them and smirked. "That's because I didn't know they were coming. Come, let's get out of the cold." She said, walking in.

The two of them followed her all the way inside and past a large crowd of people to the bar, where the woman turned around and embraced Aphrodite in a hug. "Aphrodite! It's nice to see you again." She said, rubbing the love goddess' back. Aph smiled and hugged back. "You too, Hedone."

The two broke and looked to Artemis. "Arty, this is my _granddaughter_, Hedone, Eros and Psyche's daughter, the goddess of pleasure." The aforementioned goddess bowed. "Lady Artemis, it's a pleasure. If I may ask, why have you chosen to visit my nightclub? It is my understanding that this is not really your scene." She asked confusedly.

Artemis sighed. "I'm guessing you've heard of my betrothal to Perseus. Since they are such good friends, Aphrodite has taken it upon herself to try and get to know me, thus she brought me to a nightclub." She sighed, and Hedone smirked. "Ah yes, I heard about that. You're a lucky woman, milady. Percy was a very good ride. Well, if there's anything I can do for you, just call. Have a good night, you two." She smirked, winking over her shoulder.

Artemis facepalmed. _Great_, she thought, _there's a goddess Percy forgot to tell me he had relations with._ She sighed and leaned against the bar, looking at Aphrodite. "Now what?" She asked, but Aph's attention had already been caught by a young mortal walking past in a $6000 suit. "Now… we have fun." She said, letting herself get distracted and walk off.

Artemis rolled her eyes and turned towards the bartender. "Give me a glass of anything that isn't drugged." She said, and the bartender nodded, pouring her a glass.

As she stared at Aphrodite charming that mortal man, she wondered what she would do. Honestly, her plan when she saw the club was just to stick with Aphrodite and not talk to anyone, but now she was alone. That embarrassed her. Artemis never cared about her social status, but this was a goddess' nightclub, anyone affiliated with the Olympian world could see her alone at a nightclub and start some rumors. Plus, she probably looked like a loser being alone at such a social gathering.

As the bartender pushed a glass of something in front of her, Artemia sipped it and listened to the headache-inducing music. She heard a cough from beside her and placed the glass down, turning her head. A young man stood there leaning against the bar. He smirked down at her, and Artemis got a good look at him.

He honestly looked like a son of Poseidon, a mix between Orion and Percy. Tanned skin, black Kronoan hair, a light stubble on his face, and the slight hint of a muscular form under his suit jacket and shirt. Considering her track record with sons of Poseidon was about 50/50, Artemis' hopes were hardly high.

"So, milady, what may you be doing in a place like this?" He asked, and she raised an eyebrow. Artemis leaned forward and placed her chin on her open palm. So he knew who she was, meaning he probably was a son of Poseidon, meaning he was probably a huge asshole. "Trying to ignore you. Go away." She said rudely.

He put his hands up in surrender, smirking. "Woah there, I'm sorry if I offended you. I'm Marius, son of Neptune." He said, holding out his hand, and she stared at it in slight disgust. _So he's Roman. Great. Neptune's spawn are even worse than Poseidon's._ She thought, ignoring his hand.

He took it back, trying to make conversation. "So, I heard you're getting married to my half-brother." He said, and she hummed in agreement. "Yep, so if you don't mind, I've had enough of sea-spawn for one week." She said, picking up her glass and downing it, before making to leave.

As she stood, she felt a bit drowsy, which shocked her. _That drink couldn't have been that strong, could it?_ She wondered, before her legs began to feel weak. She fell into the guy, who caught her and stood her up. He chuckled, then began to walk her somewhere. Her mind went into overdrive as she realised what was happening. She had been roofied. That guy had spiked her drink and now he was dragging her off for some unconsentual affairs.

She tried to move, but her body was too weak. As the guy opened a squeaky door, she tried the only thing she could. She prayed. _Aphrodite, Apollo, anyone, even Hera, help…_ Even her mind became drowsy as she was dragged into the men's bathroom.

He pushed her against the wall and she closed her eyes, realising it was futile and waiting for the immense pain. With her eyes shut, she could barely see a rainbow of colors nearly damage her retinas before the weight was lifted off of her. She was held up by four gentle arms as her eyes opened. Thankfully, she saw Apollo beating the guy, who was now on the ground, with a sceptre.

When the man stopped twitching, he panted, before walking over to his sister. Her eyes widened, and she saw three gods standing over her. Aphrodite, Apollo and Hera all stared at her worriedly as she looked up at them drowsily. Apollo handed Hera her sceptre back with a thank you, and she nodded. Her twin then knelt down and checked her over. "She's been drugged. Here." He said.

Apollo then took her from the goddesses and carefully dragged her into a stall, where he bent her over the toilet. He gathered up her hair in one hand before opening her mouth with his other. "Sorry about this, lil sis." He said, before shoving his arm down her throat.

"APOLLO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Aphrodite squealed as Artemis gagged on his arm. Her throat made weird noises and moved strangely, before Apollo yanked his arm out and everything she'd eaten in the past 24 hours drained out into the porcelain bowl. She faintly heard the sound of the two goddesses retching into the sink as she emptied her stomach.

Her vomiting lasted for over a minute, before she weakly fell back and landing with her head leaning against her brother's knees. He reached down and gently lifted her from the dirty floor, pulling her in for a hug. She shivered into his hug, closing her eyes. "Him… Neptune… Son…" She tried, and he got the message.

"It's okay, he's dead. Not very strong, barely immortal, likely a nymph's son from before the oath Neptune took." He said, gesturing to the corpse on the floor. She nodded, and felt the embrace of the other two goddesses. "Artemis, dear. Are you alright? I heard your prayer and came immediately, you sounded mortified." She said, and Artemis nodded. "He tried to talk to me and didn't get the m-message. So he spiked my drink and I prayed to you all." She explained.

Aphrodite nearly broke down in her arms. "Oh, Artemis. I'm so sorry. If I hadn't pressured you into coming this never would've happened. Now you probably think I had something to do with this." She cried, sounding extremely guilty. Artemis pulled her away and looked the love goddess in the eye. "Aphrodite, you swore you wouldn't do something like this. And… you came when I was in need, I trust you completely." She said with a grateful smile, and the goddess smiled back, before the two friends hugged tightly.

Apollo cleared his throat. "Sis, I think you should go home, I can call Percy and tell him what happened." He suggested, and the two elder goddesses agreed. "Yes, I think it is best if we cut our girls night out short." Aphrodite said with a sombre look on her face. Artemis frowned and placed an arm around her shoulder. "Hey now, there's no need for that." She said.

Hera frowned. "Artemis, you were nearly raped. It is best for you to go home." She said, and Artemis shook her head. "Nonsense, I'm fine. What say you, Aph? Surely there's a mall open at this hour? You've always wanted to take me shopping, now's your chance." She winked, and Aphrodite squealed.

"Ahhh! Yes! When do you want to go?" She asked, and Artemis shrugged. "Now? I'm fine, I really am. Oh, Apollo, don't tell Percy. I will. Let him enjoy his night." She said, and Apollo and Hera sighed. "Okay, sis. I hope you know what you're doing. 'Night." He said, hugging and kissing her on the forehead. She smiled and hugged back, before hugging Hera.

The goddess stiffened, until her junior whispered "Thank you for coming." into her ear. She smiled and nodded. "Have a good night." She bid them goodbye before flashing out. Artemis turned to Aphrodite, noticing the loud music was still playing outside. "This place is weirdly active." She noted, and the love goddess nodded. "Hedone is well-known for her excellent clubs. You should see it around midnight." She said, and Artemis shook her head. "No, let's just go."

Aphrodite took it upon herself to flash them to a shopping mall of her choice. As they arrived, Artemis looked around at the bright shops and large water fountain with little interest, but she managed to keep a neutral face. Aphrodite immediately grabbed at her hand and pulled, bringing her to the first shop.

It was the most 16 year old girl place ever. Britney Spears was playing over the speakers, all the walls were pink, and dresses were lined up on racks like meat on hooks in a butcher's. A young twentysomething woman with way too much makeup adorning her face smiled at them as they walked in. "Hiiiii, can I help you with anything?"

Aphrodite pulled Artemis in front of her. "Do you have anything in her size? Silver, preferably. Ah, what the heck, bring it all out. Best to find you a secondary color you look good in." She said, and the woman raised an eyebrow at the big request, but she nodded and walked away.

Aphrodite dragged her by the arm to the changing room and shoved her inside, waiting for the woman. Artemis frowned. "Aph, we don't have to try _everything_ on. I'm skinny, everything in this store is skinny, you just asked for me to try on everything." She said, but the goddess shook her head. "Then we'd better hurry. We only have 2 hours before the mall closes- wait, did you just call me Aph?" She turned, and Artemis blushed.

Thankfully, the attendant returned with a pile of dresses in her arms and dumped them on the seat next to Aphrodite. "We'll start with that. If you want more I can get you more." She said. Wasting no time, Aphrodite grabbed a dress and threw it at Artemis, who caught it and looked at her in confusion. Aphrodite beckoned her on, going to check the other dresses. "Try it on and show us, we haven't got all night, Arty!"

Artemis sighed as Aphrodite yanked the curtain shut. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be mad at Aphrodite for doing this, just slightly annoyed. As she undressed herself and fit the dress onto her body, she smiled at the thought of Aphrodite getting so happy just by doing this. They were shopping, but to Aphrodite it was the best thing in the world. She sighed, realising this was going to be a long night.

It was, a full hour and a half of trying on different dresses and then doing three-sixties for Aphrodite so she could decide whether it looked good on her. At 9:30, the employee was pressuring them to finish up so she could go home soon, but Aphrodite didn't want to. Knowing this was her chance to get out of there, Artemis smiled and handed the employee back the dresses. "Aph, pick the ones we're buying and let's go. I've had enough trying on dresses." She said.

Aphrodite pouted but nodded, before picking up half the dresses and taking them to the counter for purchasing. Artemis was back in the dress she'd originally been wearing, and she waited just outside the door to rid herself of the trashy pop music blasting.

When she was done, Aphrodite and Artemis left to walk around the mall, determined to find a place that sold milkshakes. Of course, one was open, and as Aphrodite was waiting in line for theirs, Artemis took a walk around.

She walked for less than a minute, before the small shop off to the side caught her eyes. As she walked up to the glass, she squinted to see inside. Three white wedding dresses were on display, but one in particular caught her eye.

She heard a squeal from behind her, and Aphrodite approached holding two milkshakes. "OH. MY. HADES. We should totally get your wedding dress, Arty!" She said, but Artemis looked unsure. "I don't know. Maybe we should wait closer to the date." She said, but Aphrodite shook her head as she sipped on her milkshake.

"You see one you like? I know you do." She said, and Artemis looked back at the window. The dress in the middle looked perfect. She never imagined herself in a wedding dress, but if she had to pick, it'd be that one. She sighed and pointed. "That one." She said, and the love goddess dragged her inside.

An attendant came over with her hands clasped in front of her, and before she could greet them she saw their milkshakes and frowned. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, because Aphrodite immediately held Artemis up and said "My friend here is getting married soon, she wants the dress in the middle." She was giddy, high on the feeling of Artemis actually wanting to buy a dress.

The attendant swallowed her words and nodded, before going to get the dress off the mannequin. Aphrodite dragged Artemis over to the changing rooms and they both entered. When the attendant handed them the dress, Aphrodite helped Artemis put it on, and when they were done they both looked at her in the mirror.

Artemis was absolutely ecstatic. She had never felt particularly beautiful in her life. Sure, she always knew she was attractive, but she never cared enough about her looks to try and look better. Now… Now she looked elegant, and gorgeous, and stunning, and-

Artemis realised with a start that Aphrodite was whispering these things in her ear, and she turned to look at the goddess. Aphrodite clasped her hands beside her head and squealed. "You look so pretty!" She said, and Artemis nodded, looking down. "I like it. Do you think Percy will like it?" She asked.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Artemis… Percy will think you are the most beautiful thing on _earth_ once he sees you in that- not that he doesn't already. Come on, let's go buy it!" She said, yanking her over to the counter. "Wait, shouldn't I change first?" She asked, but Aphrodite shook her head. "No time! We have like 15 minutes left!" She said, frantically telling the lady at the counter that they wanted to purchase the dress.

As Aphrodite payed for it, Artemis looked over the dress again in the mirror. Percy would like it.

The two goddesses decided there was no point trying to find something else to do. Artemis was worn out from all the trying on dresses, so they went back to Percy's house. The two of them let themselves through the front door, Artemis still wearing her wedding dress. Aphrodite turned on the lights, wondering what to do next. She wanted their night out to be more fun, but it ended so early.

She wondered if they grew closer that night. Artemis had slipped up and called her Aph earlier, which made Aphrodite smile. She made her way to the living room and to Percy's dvd rack. _Who the Hades still has dvds?_ She wondered as she picked out a few. This should spice up the rest of their night.

Artemis walked into the room holding a bottle of wine. "I found Percy's cellar. You want some?" She asked, grabbing two glasses. Aphrodite nodded, holding out the dvd cases. "Movie night in Percy's room?" She offered, and Artemis nodded with a smirk.

The two of them made their way up to the room, Artemis holding the wine and skirt of her dress, and Aphrodite holding the wine glasses and three dvds. When they got inside, Artemis sat on the bed and poured their glasses as Aphrodite put the dvd in the disc drive.

The two of them moved up to sit against the headboard and began their movie night, falling asleep drunk halfway between the second one.

Percy walked into the room at 2am and put his keys down on the dresser. He looked at his tv in confusion when he realised it was on, and then towards the bed. There he saw his best friend Aphrodite unconscious and cradling an empty wine bottle and his fiance Artemis asleep and… in a wedding dress?

He walked over and sat on the bed, stirring Artemis. He smiled. "You alright? What happened?" He asked, and she shut her eyes again. "We went to… club, I was drugged… we had fun." She said, and Percy's eyes widened. "You what?" He asked in shock.

She shook her head, dropping her glass on the carpet. "No… don't worry…. Stay here please. You like?" She asked drowsily, gesturing to her dress. Percy looked down and smiled, moving his eyes back up to stare into hers. "You're beautiful. Now come on, let's go to sleep." He said, turning off the tv and lights before climbing into bed next to her.

Artemis uncannily cuddled up close to him, burying her head in her fiance's chest. "You smell nice…" She noted, and Percy chuckled. "You smell like alcohol." He said, making her giggle. Then she groaned and her face scrunched up in pain. "Ughhhh, Diana's gonna be pissed." She said, and Percy knew she wasn't lying. "So will Perses. They can work it out. Goodnight." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

Artemis snuggled tighter into his chest, fading out of consciousness. "Percy…" She said, and he hummed for her to answer. There was silence for a moment, before he heard a quiet "I think I love you…" from her. His eyes widened and he looked down, but the goddess was already asleep. He moved his head back up, staring at Aphrodite and the wall for a while. Before he fell asleep, he thought out loud. "I think I love you too."

**I finished that one, and it only took me 6 days. The next chapter is gonna be Perses and Diana, expect some hopefully good content. I just discovered Community, and Chang is one of my top 10 tv characters ever. Do you like this story so far? My stats seem to say so, but this story has just shot up over less than a month so idk. Could be just cause it's fresh. Also, lemon coming soon.**

**Word Count: 4592**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Pax Romana

**So I'm gonna try and get this chapter out as soon as possible. I've been concocting ideas for it for a few days now. Just to show you Perses and Diana's side of this. Also, I know there were lots of things wrong with the last chapter, I didn't really like it. **

Chapter 7: Pax Romana

The goddess Diana opened her eyes to the real world for the first time in a month. The last time she'd been awake and not at the back of Artemis' mind hunting was when she'd been dead tired after taking the hunters to a shooting range for the day. Now she felt refreshed and ready to start the day.

Except for the painful throbbing thing her head was doing, and the fact that the real world was black and smelled like the ocean.

Diana looked up as she pulled her head away from the hard object, and as she recognized what it was her eyes widened. "WHAT THE FUCK!?" Diana screamed, not yelled, _screamed_. The object she was staring at jolted awake, as well as a form behind her. Diana turned around to see what that was, and nearly fainted with shock.

Perses and Venus looked at each other in confusion, and then down at Diana. Their eyes widened, and Perses fell out of his bed. "What the? WHAT THE PLUTO ARE YOU TWO DOING IN MY HOUSE?" He roared, and Diana shot back up. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, LAYING IN MY BED? I KNEW YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A WORTHLESS, FILTHY, M- what did you say?" She asked, her volume lowering significantly.

Perses glared at her. "I said, _what are you doing in my house, bitch_?" Diana took that moment to look around the room, and her heart sunk as it clicked in her head. This wasn't her room. Her room was clean, the walls were green, a glass chandelier was in the middle. This place had blue walls, normal lights, and was messy as shit.

Pride taking over, Diana glared at him. "What did you call me, _pig_?" She asked, only infuriating the god more. "I called you a bitch. What are you going to do about it?" He asked, and Diana lunged at him.

Two arms wrapped around her waist, halting her from flying at the god and giving him a piece of her mind. "Stop fighting!" Venus screamed, holding Diana close. "Stop! There has to be a logical reason for this all. Did any of your Greek personas say anything to you?" She asked, and Diana and Perses looked at each other.

"Artemis would never get with a man. Least of all would she end up in one's bed like a whore." She said spitefully to the son of Neptune, who glared right back. "Perseus is not one to stay chaste, but he knows boundaries. He would never dare deflower Artemis." He said pridefully, and Diana rolled her eyes. "Oh please, stop with that phoney 'honor' schtick. Perseus would much rather bend Artemis over a table and fuck her brains out than stick to his 'code'." She said.

Perses stood up and pointed a finger at her. "If you don't shut that mouth of yours, I'm gonna bend you over a table and beat you with your own broken bow like Juno did 3000 years ago, because that's befitting of a weak goddess like _you_." He threatened, and Diana stood up. "Bring it on, assho- wait, why am I in a dress?" She asked.

Venus looked at her back. "That looks like a wedding dress to me." She then gasped and covered her mouth. "You don't think..?" The Roman love goddess trailed off, leaving it for interpretation. The other gods both looked at her in disgust. "No! Artwmis would never get married. Even if she did, why would _you_ be here?" She said with a hint of malice in her voice.

Venus frowned, and wiped a stray tear. "You didn't have to say it so mean." She said, somehow not sounding like a child with that statement. Diana sighed in slight disgust, crossing her arms and turning to Perses. "_Do you mind?_" She snapped, gesturing to herself and indicating she wanted to change.

Percy scoffed and walked over to the empty wine bottle, peering into it. "Oh, shut up. I'm a god too, dumbass. I know you can just snap your fingers and change." He said, and she 'hmph'd, before doing so and changing into her usual silver t-shirt and blue skinny jeans. "MERCURY!" She shouted.

The young god appeared in a flash, mock-saluting her upon arrival. "Yes, milady?" He asked annoyedly. Diana ignored his attitude and waved him off. "Ask our father if there's any particular reason Perses and I woke up together." She said, and Mercury raised an eyebrow, looking at the two of them and then Venus in the bed.

He then turned to Perses and winked. "Man, you scored good." He said, flashing out before Diana could throw something at him. To say the goddess was fuming at his comment would be an understatement. She was furious.

They waited for a while, during which Perses sat back down on his bed next to Venus, who played with his hair absentmindedly. She was one of the few women he still liked and could trust after what Perseus had been through.

Ten minutes later, Mercury returned, and he was laughing. "Okay, okay, get this. Zeus and Poseidon got in a fight over some woman, so Percy had a mental breakdown in front of the entire council because the Greeks got forced to sit there and listen to them again. Thanks to that, Zeus and Poseidon decided to marry two of their favorite children off to make peace. They chose Percy and Artemis." He said, giggling.

Diana's jaw dropped as she stared at the messenger god in shock. Venus and Perseus had also stopped and stared with wide eyes. Diana's mouth clenched shut, and she bit her lips tightly as she forced back tears. "Diana, are you okay?" Venus asked, but she was ignored.

Diana walked over to a wall with her arms crossed and angrily wiped away any tears that escaped. She was making a fool of herself, crying in front of a man who appeared to be her enemy and the two most talkative gods on Olympus. She breathed, but it came out shaky and now they all knew she was crying.

She fiercely held her eyes shut as she stood facing the wall, trying not to look at them. Then she was surprised to feel two strong arms reach around and hold her comfortingly as Perses hugged her. She felt like punching him, stabbing him, castrating him, _anything_. But she didn't. His hug was nice, it comforted her as it was meant to. She didn't hug back, but she didn't pull away either. They just stood there, Perses embracing her as she tried to dry up the tears.

"I don't understand why Artemis would be so calm about this. Not once did she come to me to complain, and she's even sleeping in his bed wearing a wedding dress! Has she forgotten our vow? Has she forgotten all that we have stood for in our 4000 years of life? I want to believe Perseus has bewitched her, but I know he's too stupid for anything like that." She mumbled into his chest while he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Of course he is. We're practically the same person." He joked, managing to harvest a light chuckle from her.

After Mercury flashed out silently, the door creaked open, and they all turned their heads to look. A small black-haired girl peeked her head in, grinning and bursting the door open when she saw them. "Dad!" She screamed, running to him.

Perses let go of Diana and held out his arms, kneeling. "There's my little girl!" He said as Selena ran into his arms. Perses hugged her tight and stood up, resting the three year old on his hip as she now towered over the three of them. "How's my favourite _praelia_?" He asked, and she nodded happily. "Aunt Hestia and I had mac and cheese for dinner, then Aunt Vesta dropped me off just now." She said. Perses smiled. "It sounds like you had a fun night, _bellator_."

Selena then looked over to Diana. "Mommy!" She said, reaching out her arms. Diana froze up. Yes, she had met the child before, and knew the girl wasn't her daughter, but just hearing that word scared her for a second. For just a second it made her wonder how far Perseus and Artemis went, and if she did have a daughter she didn't know about. But that was impossible, it'd been less than a month. Still, it was strange the child was calling her mom. She was her future step mom, sure.

She gulped. "Why are you calling me that, child?" She asked, and Selena tilted her head like a confused dog. "What do you mean? You're my mom." She said. Percy cleared his throat, and she turned her head to him.

"Well, sweetie, we've talked about this. Every month, daddy and the other gods have their periods, and they forget a lot. Can you please remind me, Diana and Aunty Venus why you're calling her mommy?" He asked, and Selena nodded now that she understood.

"Well, daddy told me one night that he was getting married, but I don't get why. We saw Artemis, he was marrying her, and I called her mommy. She liked that, so I kept calling her that. Now, since you and mommy are gonna be married, she is gonna be my mommy." She said, and Perses nodded. Diana crossed her arms. "I knew Artemis wanted kids but I didn't think she'd adopt one. I thought that desire was satisfied with the hunters." She said.

Perses shrugged and put Selena down. "Hey, sweetie, what say we go out for some ice cream." He said, and Selena cheered. She looked at Diana. "Can you come, mommy?" She asked, and Diana smiled. "Okay, fine. I'll come for ice cream, but after that I've gotta go. Is that okay?" She asked, and the small girl nodded. "Yup!"

Diana looked up at Perses. "I'm just doing this for her." She warned, and he nodded. Venus clapped her hands from behind him. "So cute! Also, I just remembered that Aphrodite told me about all this. Must've slipped my mind." She said lazily, and the two other gods glared. Not wanting to get yelled at, the goddess of beauty flashed out, leaving the Romans and their daughter to themselves.

Selena grabbed both their hands, and since he knew where the place was, Perses took it upon himself to flash them. The three arrived a bustling city sometime in the afternoon, and Diana looked around. "Rome? So cliche." She remarked, and Perses' eyes narrowed slightly. "It's where the best ice cream is. Sad that it's really all Rome is anymore, thanks to… whoever." He trailed off. History wasn't his strong subject, and it's not like he was there to witness it.

Diana rolled her eyes. "Anyway, where is it?" She asked, and Perses pointed a thumb to a small shop off the side. "What do you want, _bellator_?" She asked Selena, and she thought for a moment. "Rocky Road." She said, and Perses smiled. "I almost forgot you were my daughter. And you?" He asked, looking towards Diana. She waved him off. "I'll just have Vanilla." She said, and both Selena and Perses blew a raspberry at how boring it was.

The Italian man serving the ice cream greeted Perses and Selena as friends, commenting on how big she'd gotten. Diana just stood awkwardly off to the side as they ordered, and the man noticed her. "Ah, is this one of your many cousins you've told me about, or has the _semidio_ found himself a woman?" He asked in his thick accent.

Perses chuckled. "I'm afraid this is not my cousin, this is my fiance, Diana. She'll have vanilla." He said, and the man smiled at her. "You are a lucky man, Percy! She is quite the _bella donna_." He said, winking at the demigod-turned-god. They stood in line while the man made their ice creams, and when he finished Selena gave him some coins and thanked him, and the three left to eat their treats.

They ate their ice cream relatively quickly, and Diana stood up. "This was fun." She said, talking mainly to Selena. The girl smiled, ice cream all over her face. "Are you sure you can't stay?" She asked, and Diana shook her head. "I've got to go see the hunters. But I will see later on. I'm guessing you have dinner with Artemis?" She asked, and Selena nodded. "Sometimes. We eat with the hunters or at our house, or maybe we get pizza." She suggested, making Diana smile. "We'll see. Have fun." She said, nodding to Perses and flashing out.

Perses looked at his daughter and wiped her face with a napkin. "Gods, you're messy." He said, and Selena giggled as he shoved the napkin in her face. The two of them got up, and Perses flashed them out to spend a day at Disneyworld, a treat for her father being on his godly period.

Diana arrived at the hunters' camp with a silver flash, and she was immediately greeted by Phoebe and Atalanta. "Lady Diana, it's nice to see you again." Phoebe spoke for them, and Diana smiled. "It is good to see you, too. And you, Atalanta. How have you been?" She asked. This time Atalanta answered. "We've been great. The hunt has had one new member since you were last here, her name is Jane. Of course, there's been all the stuff about the betrothal…" She trailed off at the end, becoming awkward as Diana's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I've been made aware of this engagement. It seems Artemis has grown close to Perseus, I woke up huddled into Perses this morning. It was… disturbing…" She said, crossing her arms as they continued walking. Phoebe and Atalanta cringed and looked at each other. "Yeah, Lady Artemis made Perseus sit with us at breakfast one morning, even though we didn't want him to." Atalanta said, and Phoebe interrupted. "But he _did_ vow to never have sex with her or anyone else unless she consented, so we can count on Lady Artemis staying a maiden.

This shocked Diana, who came to a halt as the two eldest hunters continued. "The word of a man can hardly be trusted. Plus, I'm pretty sure he didn't even swear it on the Styx. If he _really_ meant it, he would've done so." Atalanta countered, but Phoebe looked uncertain. "Atalanta, milady trusts Perseus. I'm not saying I do, but I think it's best if we act neutral to him, so not to incite Lady Artemis' wrath. This could be another Hippolytus if we're not careful." She said, and Atalanta paled.

Diana wasn't really listening. She knew the story of Hippolytus, male hunter killed by Aphrodite, Artemis gets pissed and makes Asclepius resurrect him which pisses off Zeus so he kills the god. But she had other things on her mind, like the vow Perseus made to Artemis. Could it be possible that Artemis would stay virgin? Would the Hero of Olympus really keep to his oath of chastity?

As the two hunters bickered, Diana held her hands up. "Excuse me, I need to think." She said, walking off into the forest staring at the ground. She ventured out into the trees, far from the campsite. She walked until she could not hear any animals save for the birds and she could not see any people save for her own reflection in the water.

Diana sat down by a stream, leaning against a tall tree and wrapping her arms around her knees. She found the forest calm, being the goddess of the wilderness. It was the same sort of calm that the ocean might present to Poseidon, or a logfire might bestow upon Hestia. She felt like she could think when she was in the forest, so that's what she did.

She thought about Perseus' vow, and what this marriage meant for her. She would be married to Perses, he would become her husband and Selena her daughter-by-law. She wondered how that made her feel. Selena was nice, there was no doubt about it, but was she ready for kids? Of course Artemis was, that was no secret to Diana, but could she present herself as a mother to the Jackson girl?

Then there was Perses. She found him attractive, who didn't? She had never whored herself out of him like goddesses such as Venus, but she did find him to be pleasing to the eyes. She didn't know about Perseus, but Perses looked perfect. A broad and strong body, a charming smile, smooth jawline, alluring eyes, and the way he held himself made her swoon slightly on the inside.

He was a reluctant hero. A man who exerted so much power that monsters and titans alike feared his very name. His word alone could unite and command both the Roman and Greeks to fight alongside each other against a common enemy. He was a mere demigod who slew beasts and faded immortals, one who then evolved into so much more. He became the patron god of demigods, the hero of heroes.

Yet throughout all that, he wanted none of that. All the chaos and bloodshed was merely a fight for survival, because he had bonds and relationships to fight for. His command of the united demigods was not for the glory of it, of becoming the first Caesar of the demigods, but to save them. He knew the only way they would survive was if they worked together and fought hard for that survival, so he did it.

And after all that was over and the dust had settled, the 6 brave heroes who had fought alongside him yet had not done nearly as much had accepted godhood, but he did not want it. He did not wish to be bestowed the titles and power he truly deserved, but he took it anyway. Only to be with his friends.

That was true power to Diana. It was not measured by the amount of heads severed from their necks by a man's blade. It was not measured by how much of a population would bend the knee to one man. True power could only be determined on whether or not the beholder deserves it. None deserved their power more than Perses. None.

She found that she wasn't as opposed to the idea of marrying Perses as she might've been 2000 years ago. He was attractive, powerful, kind (when he wasn't pissed at her for 'breaking into his house'), loyal, and he was probably the only straight man in the world who would offer to stay chaste after they got married if it made her happy.

Then she wondered if she wanted that. It brought her back to the question of children. Did she ever want to bring a child into this world, a god or goddess of the next generation? She did not know. For now, it was all she could do to try and sate herself and love Selena.

Of course, the prospect of children brought her to the prospect of sex. Would Perses remain chaste? Artemis had no doubt about that one. He was the god of loyalty, physically incapable of breaking a vow. Did she want them to remain chaste, though? Did she truly want to carry on with the eternal maiden vow for the rest of eternity? It was a question she was not questioning for the first time. She had had doubts before, but never solely _because_ of a man.

Diana thought for a moment, but she could not come up with an answer. She liked being a maiden, she was free from being held down by a man, but now that was going out the window. She was getting married. At many points, the maidenhood brought on more trouble than it was worth. She was the highest priority for Olympus' rapists, since her maidenhood was considered a trophy waiting to be collected. She had held them off for many millennia, but can anything truly last forever?

The immortal problem. Nothing can possibly last forever. Everything gets swallowed up by the impossibility of eternity. That was a problem Olympus had faced time and time again.

Realising that she did not know the answer to her question, Diana left it alone. She decided the answer would come to her when it wanted to. For now, she could sit in peace.

The goddess turned her head, seeing a large elk standing on the rise staring over at her. Upon catching sight of his lady, the elk gracefully bowed his head in respect, raising it when the goddess smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. They stood staring at each other for a moment before the elk caught sight of something and ran off.

Diana turned her head, seeing Perses standing in the water of the stream. He must have used his powers as a water deity to appear there, otherwise she would have heard his footsteps or seen his flash.

The god of heroes looked down at her blankly. "Are you alright, Lady Diana?" He asked kindly, and she nodded, sitting up straight. "Yes, Perses. And please, don't call me 'Lady'. We are… friends." She hesitated for a moment, but said it.

The edges of his lips curled up, one slightly more so it was very vaguely a smirk. "I'm sorry for being so mad at you this morning. I was confused, and to be fair, your anger wasn't helping." He said.

Diana turned her head, looking downstream. "I was confused as well, which likely contributed to my anger. I…. Didn't expect to wake up in the arms of a male." She said, making Perses chuckle. "Nor did I expect to wake up cuddling the very goddess who would kill me for doing so." He said. Perses then looked at the tree and back to her. "May I sit?" He asked, and Diana nodded.

Since it was right on the bank, Perses sat down in the stream, leaning back against the trunk 90 degrees to Artemis' right. The current was ever so slightly pushing him to the left, but it wasn't like the water would push him over. He brought his knees up out of the water, rolling his sleeves up and resting his arms on them. "I left Selena with Thalia. The hunters said they're having steak and salad for dinner." He told her.

Diana hummed, glad to finally be able to dine with her hunters. It was hard being a Roman god, only being able to stretch your legs at least one day every month. But that was the way they worked. The Flame of the West currently favored the Greeks, it hadn't favored Rome since the Fall of Constantinople 500 years before. Ever since, every time the Flame moved it would be the Greeks still in power. Though that's likely what they deserved after over 1600 years of dominance. Perhaps she had to wait another 1100 years until Artemis would go to rest, and Diana would once again be able to hunt to her heart's content.

"What are you thinking about?" Perses asked, and Diana considered whether or not she wanted to talk. Then she decided she would, she wanted to get on her future husband's good side hopefully before their wedding. "The Flame of the West, and how long it's been since Rome dominated." She admitted, and Percy hummed in acknowledgement.

"What's it like, being the ones in power?" He asked, and Diana knew what he meant. Perses was technically the youngest god, having agreed to and been turned into a god after his friends. He had never seen a Pax Romana, a Roman Peace. Diana had been there for the entirety of Rome's rule. She had awoken with the wolf cubs Romulus and Remus, as had the other Roman gods, for Chaos knew something big would come of these two descendants of Aeneas and Aphrodite.

Diana had watched as Romulus struck his brother's head with the stone of betrayal, and she had watched the Ottoman invaders storm the Byzantines in their own capital, the result of a worn-out civilization's mistakes. She had been there for the birth and fall of an Empire. Rome was not what it once was. It was the world, and now it was an antique. Diana knew Artemis felt the same about Greece. She was born and raised in Greece, it was her home. Then after years of internal conflict between the gods and their alternate aspects, the Romans took Korinth and Diana took control.

She smiled softly and stared up through the trees, where Apollo's chariot could be seen racing through the sky. Unlike his Greek form, the Roman Apollo, or Phoebus as most called him, did not turn his chariot into a car of some sorts, he merely decorated it to be more to his liking.

"Do you have a home, Perses?" She asked, and he thought for a moment. He could probably say Olympus, but that had always been more of an observation. In truth, Perses had not been alive long enough to claim anything as his home. He was only 4, to be fair, retaining the demigod Percy Jackson's memories and skills. But Perses the Roman God had not settled down. He had his palace and daughter, but how could a palace be a home. Then he thought of his mortal life, and one place stuck in his mind.

"My mother used to take me to a cabin up in Montauk, to get us away from my abusive step-father. When he died and my mother remarried, my new step-father bought the cabin as a gift, and it became their secondary house whenever they had a chance to get away. But I never found our Manhattan apartment to be home. It was always that cabin. It was there that my fondest memories of family came from. That is my home." He said.

Diana raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would have said Camp Half-Blood or Jupiter." She said in confusion, but he shook his head. "I have so many friends there, but those most important to me are never there. They are either on Olympus or Camp Jupiter. I can't stay there for too long, either. The Poseidon cabin gets lonely." He said, turning his head and looking wistfully downstream.

Diana sighed. "Well then, Perses. Imagine this. Imagine you were born in that cabin. That was where it all began, and that is where you grew up. You were raised there into an adult, young and carefree. Imagine seeing history play out at that cabin. The chaos and bloodshed of battle on the fields nearby, the fall of your country as you know it and the reconstruction of it into something better, again and again it rebuilds."

"So close that cabin comes to burning down, and each time it prospers. And then one day it happens. The wood rots, the floorboards creak, and the roof collapses. After so many years, you haven't the strength to rebuild it. It is too far gone. So you sit down. You sit on the hill outside your destroyed cabin and you look at the sunset. As you stare at the red glow of Phoebus' descent, you can't bring yourself to cry, nor to be angry. You can only be happy that at least it was here. And then you close your eyes, basking in the beauty of your home as you remembered it, not as the rotten wood makes it out to be." She finished, looking down.

Perses swallowed, not expecting such a deep talk from Diana. "Was Rome as great as they say it was?" He asked, and Diana looked up again. Phoebus was descending, a day had vanished in what had felt like a few minutes of thinking. She smiled, remembering the glorious buildings of her city, the women praying for her blessings and happy lives, the children's laughter as they ran through the street. "It was, and it was beautiful." She said.

Diana then turned her head to Perses. "You wait, Perses. Someday when America falls, the Flame will shift, and maybe Fate might favor Rome. Then you will find your Empire, and as you remember it's rise, it's fall, and everything in between that made it special, you'll know you have found your home." She said, staring at the red glow through the trees.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, taking in the conversation that had just occurred. Perses did have something else on his mind too, and he turned his head slightly to look at the elder goddess. "What do you think about… all this? Like our marriage and stuff." He said, and Diana bit her lip. She had been pondering that question all afternoon, and she still had no answer.

"I have no idea, Perses. I'm clueless on all of it. Whether I want to be near you, whether I want kids, to lose my virginity, or even whether or not I should just bail and move to the Land Beyond the Gods. I… I will figure it out soon enough." Perses nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

As Phoebus' star faded below the horizon, Perses stood up, stepping out of the stream and drying himself. "I'm going to head back." He said, and the goddess nodded. "I should come too." She said, and Perses held out his hand to help her up. She took it gratefully, and they began to walk back to the hunter's camp.

About halfway there, Diana was thinking seriously about this marriage. Artemis appeared to be trying hard to make it work…

Catching the god off guard, Diana grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, pushing him against a tree. Before he could cry out in pain or yell at her or say anything, Diana smashed her lips onto his.

Perses was shocked, not moving a muscle and just staring at Diana's face as she tried her hardest to pretend what she was doing was normal. As her lips ground against his, the feeling in his body returned and he carefully put his hands on her hips. When she didn't protest, he began to kiss back, essentially taking over so it wasn't her awkward lip-pressing.

He placed a hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss. She realised what he was doing and pushed against him, trying to make it more intimate. As his tongue pressed against her lips, she shut them tight because the idea of his tongue in her mouth was gross. Then she remembered that was just a passionate way of kissing, something the French did, so she bid him entry.

They made out against the tree for a while, before Perses pulled away and looked at her strangely. "What was that for?" He asked, making the huntress blush. "I wanted to see what it felt like. Plus, I thought maybe kissing you would make us fall in love so the marriage could work." She said, thinking her logic was sound.

Perses stood there, dumbstruck for a moment before he burst out into laughter. Diana glared at him, stepping out of his embrace. "What's so funny?" She asked, and Perses composed himself. "Nothing, I just forgot how inexperienced with romance you are. Kissing doesn't make people fall in love, there's a lot more to it. Things like hand holding and kissing and sex are all a part of love, and most couples do those things, but they're not mandatory to be in love." He said.

Diana nodded, still confused as to how her plan didn't work. She had barely been able to comprehend that she'd had her first kiss, and it was a rough make-out session against a tree. Gods, she was moving fast.

Perses stepped out from against the tree, and took her hand. "Come on, let's get some dinner." He said, leading the dazed goddess to the hunters' camp.

When they arrived, many people raised an eyebrow at Perses and Diana's linked hands, and some even narrowed their eyes at the god, but none mentioned it. Selena approached them, seeing their joined hands, and smiled before engulfing them in a hug

Perses smiled and hugged back with his free arm, while Diana managed to let her lips curl upwards slightly as she patted Selena on the head. The girl retracted, and they all walked over to the dining tent.

Dinner was nice, steak and salad as Perses and Thalia had said. Artemis liked hers rare, to the point of being nearly raw. Perses and Selena both had theirs medium rare, just warm and juicy enough for the two Jackson's.

Perses helped with the dishes, letting Selena go off and play with the other young hunters. Diana supervised the little ones, making sure they didn't do anything stupid like jump off a cliff during their little game.

An hour later, long after Perses was done with the chores, he returned to his fiance and daughter, the latter of which was now tired and sitting in Diana's lap. He smiled, approaching the two. "Someone looks about ready to go to bed." He suggested, and surprisingly, Selena didn't protest. She held out her arms as Perses picked her up and sat her on his hip, and he looked at Diana. "We're gonna head back to my place. You wanna come?" He asked, and figuring she had nothing better to do, Diana nodded.

The three, or two since one was a demigod, flashed out, Perses granting Diana permission to enter his home. He would have to change the security of his house at some point, if Diana would be able to come and go as she pleased. They dropped into his bedroom, and he looked at Diana. Selena was practically asleep in Perses' arms, her head rested in his neck.

"I'm just gonna tuck her in, I'll be right back." He assured her, and the goddess just nodded. Perses disappeared, and Diana took a moment to look around the room. It wasn't messy, but various items were scattered around. As she inspected further, she realised many of them were trophies, mementos he'd collected over his years.

One set of items intrugued her in particular. It was a few monster trophies, but each one showed just how strong Perses really was. Firstly, there was the Nemean Lion's pelt, which had been returned to Percy as a reward for his whole saving the world thing and as a gift for becoming a god. Poseidon gave it to the Greek demigod in the hopes that it would protect him, but it seemed Perses and Perseus never wore it, just left it gathering dust off to the side.

Next to that was a small knife, made of what looked to be a dragon's tooth. As she got closer, she recognized the sharp object, bringing a triumphant smile to her face. The claw of Lykaon, her enemy, had been fashioned into a make-shift dagger, something she didn't know Perses was capable of.

There were two familiar sandals on the floor, wings sprouting from the sides. She noted that they were not Mercury's, and she briefly wondered if they belonged to the son of Hermes who betrayed Olympus during the Second Titan War. Perhaps Percy Jackson took them as a spoil of war.

Finally, two blade sat crossed on the table, sheathed and tied shut, and by the curve of the blade, she immediately recognised them. Scimitars, and only one monster had scimitars like that, Kampê. She stepped back a bit, knowing those blades. They were coated with poisons which could kill even immortals, not quite fade them, but still send them to reform for a long time. Diana did not feel like a trip to Tartarus.

"They are my trophies. Reminders of some of my greatest conquests." The strong god walked up behind her, and she stood to the side, letting him stand next to her. "I guess they all cover a different aspect of my strength. I, or rather Perseus, killed Lykaon after two of Lupa's cubs were killed and Artemis was on a hunt. After days of close encounters, I finally snuck up and slit his throat."

"I got the Lion pelt through… cunning, I guess? He was the Nemean Lion, indestructible, so I resorted to a plan that had a 2% chance of working and I threw food into his mouth, after which your old lieutenant Zoe killed it. The winged sandals were a gift from my then-friend Luke, but they were cursed to try and send me to Tartarus. Hecate managed to uncurse them, so now they are usable. I honestly couldn't tell you what category of strength those went under." He admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"And finally, Kampê's scimitars. Usually monsters aren't too much of a challenge as a god, but that one…" He sighed shakily. "I don't think I'll ever get over what she put me through. She is… maybe the only monster I truly fear. But, through either sheer luck or an incredible feat of strength, I managed to cut one of her hands off, and then her head." He said.

Diana could not believe it, there was a reason Kampê was the most feared monster after Typhon. Gods had tried time and time again to kill her, but few ever succeeded. Tartarus has a tendency for sapping your strength.

Diana looked at the set of trophies. "What do you intend to do with it? It seems like a waste to have it sitting here for eternity." She said, and Perses smiled. "I was hoping that one day, should Selena ever be in trouble, or perhaps should she ever become the child of a 'great prophecy', she could pray to me, and these items would protect. Flight, invulnerability, poison that can kill immortals, and a knife capable of tracking any prey." He said.

Diana's eyes widened at that part, she did not know his claws could do that. Next time he was in town, Diana would have to pay Lykaon a visit.

The two of them sat on the bed, and Perses turned on the tv. Some mortal show she was not interested in played, and they sat staring at the screen absentmindedly. Halfway through the episode, Diana's mind started racing again, and she came to the memory of her and Perses kissing.

It had felt good, she just realised that. It felt _really_ good. Diana had never kissed someone on the lips, and when Perses kissed back he did it with passion. She loved the feel of his lips on his, the way their mouths opened and moved together. Deep down, she knew she wanted to feel that again. Not only that, bjt ever deeper she knew she wanted _more_, but she was not sure just how far she wanted to go.

She looked over at him, he was watching the tv screen blankly. She moved her eyes down to the blanket,and considered for a moment. So many thoughts raced through her mind, she wasn't even sure it was her thinking these things. Some of the thoughts were outlandish, completely unlike anything she'd ever thought before.

As she looked at his face, his sharp jawline, prominent Roman cheeklines, his sparkling sea-green eyes, she blushed. As she looked at his arms and chest, large but not overly, just enough to squeeze and rest her head on, likely firm to the touch, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach. As she thought about all the incredible feats and deeds he had accomplished, her eyes wandered downwards, and a completely new feeling entered her nether regions.

***Lemon***

"Perses." She said, not even meaning to, and the god in question turned to her. Without warning, she pulled his head to hers and locked lips with him for the second time. Once again, Perses was shocked for a moment, but he quickly melted into it, holding her and kissing back with just as much eagerness.

Diana moaned softly as Perses' tongue gently pressed against her lips, and as she opened her mouth the creature inside his mouth entered and began to assert dominance. Not one to be challenged so easily, Diana used her tongue to try and wrestle back against him. The two gods danced together with their mouths on the bed, and Diana reached up to hold his cheek.

Realising the position they were in was quite awkward -sitting facing forward with their necks and 90 degree angles, Diana managed to maneuver herself on top of him so her legs were on either side of his and she sat right on his manhood. Diana blushed as she felt the object through his pants, breaking the kiss and looking down.

Realising he'd been caught getting aroused, Perses blushed too. "Can you really blame me?" He asked, gesturing at her position. Diana wondered briefly if she was more offended and disgusted or complimented and proud that she had aroused him, but to not make this weird she decided on the latter.

As she pulled him in for another kiss, Perses wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, so close that their bodies were pressed up against each other. She was now taller than him, which was a first, and she leaned down to passionately make out with her fiance. As they kissed, she realised how much she enjoyed this. The feel of his tongue in her mouth, his hands on her body, his manhood pressing against her…

Her eyes widened as she thought such dirty thoughts, but in the heat of the moment, she didn't care. Why should she even stick to the eternal maiden vow? What was the point anymore? The reasoning behind the vow in the first place was to stop Jupiter from marrying her off, but now she was being married anyway! It felt so good to be this intimate, if she wasn't held down by her vow she could have this kind of pleasure and more practically whenever she wanted. Besides, Artemis and Perseus were remaining chaste, so she can stick to the vow that was originally her idea. And, if Artemis truly did want kids of her own, any kids of Diana's would technically be hers too, since it would be a godling and have a Greek counterpart. As she thought it all over in her head, she realised how much of a no-brainer this was. It was a win-win!

"Perses…" Diana moaned as the god unlatched himself from her mouth, before hooking his lips onto her jawline and just above her neck. She tugged on his hair gently, indicating she wanted more, and that was when Perses went for her neck. For possibly the first time ever, Diana cried out in ecstasy, relishing in the feeling of Perses sinking his teeth into her neck.

As he moved his lips back up to her mouth, Diana tore off his shirt with one powerful tug, and then began unbuttoning her own red flannel jacket. With her fiance shirtless, she took a moment to admire his smooth, strong chest. She had never paid attention to the physical forms of males like this before, but as she traced her finger lightly over his tanned eight-pack, she felt like she was going to drool. They were firm, and felt like he had been chiseled out of marble. Her fingers came up and ran across his chest, and she felt like a teenage girl looking at her celebrity crush.

His finger brushed her cheek, and her eyes moved to meet his. His eyes were not on her body like hers had been on his, the god's hands were groping and feeling her like she expected, he was just admiring her face, stroking her cheek and staring into her eyes. "I never noticed how beautiful you were, before." He admitted, and Diana blushed. She didn't know how to take a compliment like that, so she just ran her eyes across his godly face. She was the one to speak next. "I never really looked at you before, but now that I have… gods, I'm sorry, I've never felt these things before." She apologized, looking away.

Perses smiled, grabbing her face. As she turned to look at him again, he went in for another kiss, and she immediately returned the favor. This one wasn't heated or steamy, however. This one felt like a scene straight out of a Disney movie to her. Their lips moved in sync, their tongues remained docile, and their eyes closed as they pulled each other closer.

Diana leaned back, and grabbed the bottom of her white tank top, before pulling it over her head. Perses' eyes widened as her concealed breasts bounced free, and he looked at her. "Diana, what are you doing?" He asked. Diana looked at him dreamily, pressing her body up against him. "Touch me. Feel me. Please Perses, I want to feel your hands on my body." She whispered sexily.

Hesitantly, Perses brought his hands up and placed them on her breasts, feeling the untouched globes for the first time. They were soft, and not large like Venus'. They weren't non-existent either, just firm and bouncy enough for him to take pleasure in it. Diana moaned as she felt the contact, and he squeezed gently.

The goddess reached behind her back, fiddling with the clip on her bra. Before he could tell what was going on, the item of clothing fell and her naked breasts were revealed to him. His jaw dropped, and she moaned when his hands made contact with her nipples. As his thumbs lightly grazed over the small bumps, pleasure coursed throughout Artemis' body, and she threw her head back to moan.

"Suck on them," she demanded. "Suck on my tits, Perses." She said, and Perses seemed unsure. "Diana, don't you think this is going a bit fast?" He asked, wanting to make sure she was consciously making these decisions. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed it against her right breast, where Perses gave up and began to suckle.

She bit her lip. "Artemis wants to stay a virgin, that's fine by me. I'm finally going to see what Venus has been raving about all these years." She said finally as Perses reached up a hand to stroke her other nipple.

After a few minutes of this, Perses pulled his head away and looked her in the eyes. "Diana, have you ever orgasmed?" He asked, and she became intrigued. "No, but I've heard it feels good. Why?" She asked, hoping this was headed where she wanted it to.

Perses smirked. "May I be the first one to bring you such a pleasure, milady?" He asked, grabbing the waist of her jeans and waiting for permission. Diana thought it over, again wondering if she wanted to go this far. Then she remembered her thoughts from before, and nodded. "Are you going to… put it in me?" She asked, and he shook his head as she carefully tugged her jeans down her waist.

As he pulled her jeans off, he grabbed her panties and looked up again, asking once more for permission. She looked him in the eyes, searching for any hints of malice or ill-intent. When she couldn't find any, she nodded, and he tugged the black underwear down her legs and off of her.

Before she could ask what happened next, Perses grabbed both of her smooth legs and put them on his shoulders. "Here's what I want you to do. Sit back, and try to hold it in as long as you can. That just makes the release all the more enjoyable." He said, and she nodded in understanding.

The Roman goddess barely had any time to react before Perses leaned down and began to probe her core with his tongue. Diana gasped, almost to the point of crying out, and she clenched as hard as she could even though she felt like she was seconds away from coming.

Perses began to lick all around her folds, stimulating her lower lips with his tongue. He practiced every trick he knew, trying to remember all the best places to hit. Gently, he tried to move his tongue deeper, but when she whimpered, he decided to hold off.

Perses sat up, making the goddess shift so he was giving her a reverse-piggyback while she leaned against the headboard. Diana tugged at his black hair in pure bliss as her fiance worked his magic on her. "P-Perses. I, I think it's… oh gods…" She shivered, pushing his face further into her vagina.

Taking this as his cue to finish off, Perses began to utilize all his best techniques to make her first time the most enjoyable. He was incredibly hard at this point, and he felt the slight dampness of pre-cum soaking through his underwear and onto his jeans.

Diana gasped for air as she became lost in the world of pleasure. While she felt her release coming, Perses licked and lightly probed the best he could to get her to orgasm. As her legs became shaky on his shoulders, Diana knew she couldn't hold it anymore. She clenched the fistfuls of his hair in her grasp as her gates flooded.

Diana had never felt such physical pleasure in her life before that moment, and she felt like her soul had left her body when she exhaled shakily and tipped her head back to moan. Perses, his face being covered in juices, began to eagerly lap it all up like a puppy. The extra licks only served to pleasure Diana even more, and she noticed that she had begun to grind her pelvis against his face, trying to gain even more pleasure.

Perses shifted them so she was directly on top of him, and his head was positioned like he was drinking out of a cup. As Perses felt the last of her juices leave her body and enter his mouth, he carefully lowered her down to sit on her knees in front of him. "You taste like nectar." He noted, before kissing her passionately. Diana could not help herself, and she licked every side of Perses' mouth, trying to see if he was telling the truth. As she finally caught a good taste of herself, she backed away. "You weren't exaggerating." She smirked.

As she looked down, she saw the massive bulge in her pants and bit her lip, wondering whether she should repress her urges. Deciding to throw that out the window, she grabbed it lightly, only to feel it was surprisingly firm, even through his jeans. "Wow, are they all this big?" She asked, and Perses blushed. "Not according to Venus." He said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

As she rubbed her thumb over it, she noticed a wet patch soaking through. "Did you orgasm too?" She asked, and he shook his head. "No, that's pre-cum, like a warning that I'm aroused, I guess. Like the erection didn't make that obvious." He explained, and she smirked. She wasn't dumb, and she knee things about sex. "Say, would it help if I were to… stimulate you? Would that make you feel the same pleasure I did, as a thank you?" She asked, and Perses was flabbergasted.

Knowing he would tell her something like 'no, that's degrading', or 'I don't want to rush you', Diana took initiative. As Perses backed up to lean against the headboard, she began to unzip his jeans. The goddess pulled down his underwear and her breath hitched as the throbbing manhood popped free from its imprisonment.

Curiously, she reached out and wrapped her hand around it, making Percy moan. "Diana, you don't…" He trailed off, moaning as she gently began to rub up and down. She had seen sex before, she knew what she was supposed to do to stimulate him. This was her first time trying it practically, however, so her form wasn't perfect.

She squeezed a little bit too hard, and when Percy's face clenched in pain, she quickly figured out that she was not supposed to do that. As the goddess of the hunt gave the hero a stellar handjob, she remembered the second stage of this pleasuring act. "Diana, you really don't have to do this." Perses managed to say as she leaned down. Her mouth was right above his head, and her warm breath sent pleasure coursing through his body.

Her eyes met his, and she smiled. "Think of this as a thank you." She said, before descending and taking him into her mouth. Perses threw his head back as the pleasure overwhelmed him, and he lost himself in the feel of Diana's lips around his cock. Hoping she was doing it right, Diana began to suck it like she would a popsicle, and suong what limited information she'd gathered from a porn one time, started moving her head up and down.

She must have been doing good, because Perses was behaving like he'd taken a syringe full of nectar and overdosed. He desperately grabbed the back of her head, gently pushing up and down so not to choke or hurt her. Diana managed to keep up, and was soon moving naturally as if this was her job.

Perses, already thorougjly aroused from eating her out, could not last long, and decided not to make things torturous for himself by holding it in. "Diana, I-I'm gonna cum." He warned her, and the goddess froze. She wondered for a moment what she was supposed to do here, and remembered that she couldn't get pregnant by swallowing it. So, she continued as if he hadn't said anything.

When her surprisingly amazing head bobbing became too much, Perses grabbed her hair and released his load into her mouth and down her throat. Since she didn't want to get the bed messy and deep down she knew she wanted a good taste, Diana stopped and let the cum flow, swallowing a large portion of it, while a few drops managed to escape her mouth.

When he finished, Diana raised her head and leaned in for a kiss. Deciding he didn't want a taste of his own jizz, he stopped her, before using his powers as a water deity to summon a glass-worth in the air, which she promptly swallowed.

The two made out of a while, now naked on the bed, before Diana grabbed his hardening member again. She pressed it against her maidenhood, which made Perses jump to action. "No! Diana, that would break your hymen and your virginity would disappear." He warned, and she shrugged. "I thought about it today, and maybe it's time I gave up that vow. It causes more trouble than it's worth. Besides, I'm getting married, what's the point?" She told him.

He stuttered, shocked that she was even considering this. "But, wouldn't that break Artemis' hymen too?" He asked, and she shook her head. "We are two different bodies. Your wounds don't afflict Perseus. My body is separate from Artemis', my virginity separate to hers." She explained, ans he nodded. As she moved his cock back into place, he forced her to look at him. "Diana, are you _sure_ you want to do this? There's no coming back." He warned.

Diana smiled, happy that he was actually considering her feelings about all this. With any other male, their desires would have taken over by now, and they would have taken her anyway. But not him. "Yes, Perses. I am sure. If anyone's going to take my maidenhood, I want it to be you." She assured him, and he smiled.

Perses positioned himself at Diana's entrance, before carefully sliding his cock into her maidenhood. Diana gasped out in pain as she struggled to adjust to her lover's size. She was a 4000 year old virgin, after all. She hissed in pain, grabbing his shoulder tightly "Do it." She commanded, and Perses obeyed. With one hard and deep thrust, Perses sheathed himself inside her, breaking her barrier and claiming her virginity.

Diana screamed, which most certainly would have woken Selena had their room not been soundproof. She grasped his shoulders tightly as her thin body leaned against his lean and muscular one, trying to get herself used to the huge object probing her inner core.

Perses saw tears brimming her clenched eyelids, and he wiped them away. "It's okay, the pain will go away." He said, preparing to continue. With slow and long thrusts, in order to let her adjust, he began to pull her up and down on top of him. Diana felt her insides expanding, and she let out slight grunts every time he thrust into her, trying to hold in screams of pleasure and pain.

The clapping sound of flesh against flesh every second or so rang out through the room, and in order to stabilize herself, Diana had to put her hands against the wall and lean on them. She stopped him, now confident she could move on her own. His hands remained on her hips, however, and she began to pull herself up and down.

_It's just like pull ups, it's just like pull ups_, she thought, trying to distract herself from the immense pain her first time was greeting her in. Soon the pain numbed slightly, and as her folds loosened slightly she could now bounce up and down onto his cock smoothly.

Now that the pain wasn't on her mind, the pleasure took over. "Oh-oh, shit, ah, P-Perses, ah fuck." She moaned and hissed as she bounced up and down on top of him. Deciding to help her, Perses began to use his hands to pull her up and down again, and soon she was riding him like a pro.

"Ah, yes Perses! Give- Give it to me! Ah fuck yes! Right there! Right there, baby! Yessss!" She drew out the S like a snake, closing her eyes and looking up. Perses grunted, burying his head in her neck. "Fuck! I didn't know it could be this tight. It feels so fucking good." He complimented her, and she smiled as she bounced some more.

Diana slowed to a halt, severely disappointing Perses. "I don't think I could do this again tonight. Do you wanna, uh, move around?" She asked, not knowing the proper terminology. Perses smirked. "Switch up positions? Sure. There's one I'm particularly fond of, might suit you as goddess of wildlife." He said, and she let him lead the way.

Perses pulled out, making Diana whimper just from the contact of his head to her lips during the exit. He got up on his knees and gently turned her around, managing to direct her on her hands and knees facing away from him. "This one's called doggy style." He said, grabbing his still-erect cock and gently pushing back into Diana's wetness.

She gasped in pleasure, and adjusted herself so she was on her elbows with her ass sticking in the air as Perses pounded away at her backside. She found this position really arousing, though she didn't know if that was normal. Something about being fucked like an animal really turned the goddess on, and it felt like ten times the pleasure she was feeling before.

Her eyes rolled upwards as she struggled to breathe through the pleasure. Getting into it, Perses raised a hand and brought it down sharply on her ass, making her yelp a bit as she had been spanked. "W-what was th-that?" She asked, struggling to get the words out due to the pounding. Perses smirked, grasping both cheeks and winking at her. "From me, take it as a compliment. From anyone else it's assault." He said, and she nodded, chuckling slightly.

She began to pant as his thrusts became heavier, and Diana felt like a dog at this point. She tried to use what dirty talk she knew. "Yes, Perses! Fuck me, fuck me please! Harder, baby, give it to me hard! I wanna feel you in meee." She moaned during the sentence with every clap of Percy's pelvis against her ass.

Perses grunted, holding it in as best as he could. Diana had orgasmed about five times since they began having sex, but he'd managed to last this long. Though her tightness mixed with the sight of her resting her head sideways on the ground with her ass up for him may change that soon.

Diana was pushing back against him, moaning as he ran her into the ground. The old her would've thought this new Diana a slut, but she enjoyed this way too much to care one fucking bit.

Suddenly Perses had a familiar feeling. "Diana, I'm gonna cum. Where do you want it?" He asked, and they both struggled to say anything through the moaning. "Iz8, me, p-please. I don't care ab-bout pregnancy. Just… do… it… fuck!" She screamed and moaned, and Perses squeezed her ass cheeks tight.

As Diana prepared to be flooded, she was unprepared when Perses grabbed her and turn her over onto her back, somehow managing to stay inside her. Now she was underneath him, and her legs instinctively wrapped around his back, pulling her lover close.

His hands rested on either side of her body and her arms stretched up above her head, just shy of the headboard. As they stared into each other eyes, Perses thrust as hard and fast as he could into the goddess. It didn't take long before Perses came, his seed flooding her insides and making her cry out in ecstasy as the hot liquid filled her up.

Perses kept thrusting, making sure to get it all out, before he eventually unplugged himself from her hole. Diana lay there, her chest rising and falling as she took in what had just happened. She lost her virginity, and it felt _fucking great_. She didn't care what anybody thought, she decided. Diana would never forget this night nor the pleasure she felt.

Perses lay down next to her, pulling his lover in for a heated kiss. She smiled as she played with his hair, while his hands wrapped around her back and pulled her tightly to him. They lay there for a good while, kissing each other passionately and relishing in the feel of one another's naked form on their own.

Eventually, Diana pulled away and looked at the alarm clock. "It's 11:30. We have half an hour left." She told him, and he nodded, pulling the blankets up to their necks. "Then we'd better get to sleep before Perseus and Artemis come back and see what happened." He told her. Diana nodded, and surprisingly affectionately, she cuddled up to her fiance.

"Perses." She said, and he hummed in acknowledgement of her calling. "Thank you for making my first time so... amazing." She said truthfully, and he leaned up to kiss her on the forehead. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Diana. I'll see you in a month. Then we'll have a whole week to be together." He said, and the goddess in question kissed him again.

"I can't wait. Goodnight, my love." She whispered, bringing a smile to Perses' face. They fell asleep in each other's arms, and as the clock struck midnight, their naked forms changed to that of a sleeping Percy and Artemis, who slept soundly through the night.

**Holy moly that was a long chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the Roman special. I'd like to personally thank MGMT for helping me write this chapter. I have a plan for the next chapter, so that shouldn't take too long. See ya guys, have fun. Also, please leave suggestions for future chapters.**

**Word Count: 10,706**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Consequences

**I'll update No Choice regularly, but I am working on either a really long oneshot or a short story, and boy it's gonna be fucked. Like take my story Taste and make it 10 times worse. I won't spoil anything, just read this damn chapter and give me my dam votes. Smile smile small-eyes smilegrin? Photo.**

Chapter 8: Consequences

Percy woke up slowly in his own bed, the sea-spawn's sea-green orbs burning at first contact with the light. His arms were around something smooth, and he instinctively rubbed his hand up and down.

When he looked to see what it was, his heart stopped. For the second time in a week, Percy was shocked to find himself wake so close to the goddess of the hunt, but this time was much different. Much different. Artemis was naked.

The rubbing startled Artemis, who subsequently woke and fluttered her eyes tiredly. She tilted her head up, expecting to see Percy. Of course, she did, but something felt different this time. He was tense, and his breathing was very much halted. Wondering what was wrong, she sat a up a bit.

As she did so, Artemis felt very cold all of a sudden, and she saw Percy's eyes flick down and widen profusely. Following his gaze, Artemis did not expect to see what she saw. Her breasts were out in the open for Percy to see, her nipples were cold and erect, her naked nether regions were rested on his equally exposed manhood, and as she sat up she felt a nice tingly sensation down there. Realising the two of them were in bed naked, Artemis screamed.

The goddess' scream was loud enough for any of the gods to hear, and she fell off the bed, dragging one of the blankets with her. Scared and confused, she crawled to the corner of the room and huddled up, the blanket reaching over her mouth. Percy was very much startled by the loud noise in his ear, and he backed up into the bed and covered himself with the sheets.

The god took a few deep breaths, getting over the shock, and he looked around the room. It was definitely his room, and thankfully no one else was in there with them. He looked back over to Artemis, and saw her eyes were wide and she was shaking. The goddess of the hunt was in shock.

Not knowing what to do other than help, Percy carefully stood up, making sure the sheet was covering him below the waist. He found a pair of shorts that had been there for over a day and put them on, not making eye contact with Artemis. Once he was decent, he looked in his drawers and found some old clothes. By old clothes really just grabbed his old Goode High Swim Team hoodie and some boxer shorts for her.

Tentatively, he approached the goddess, who backed up in fright when she heard the footsteps. Percy knelt down next to her, worried. "Artemis, are you okay? Can you hear me?" He asked, but got no answer. Artemis just stayed shaking in the corner. Percy sighed, placing the clothes down in front of her. "I brought you some clothes. Would you like some breakfast?" He offered, wanting to calm her before they brought up the subject of her shock.

When he yet again got no answer, he patted the clothes and stood up, going to go make sure Selena was alright and summon them pancakes. As he left, he shut the door behind him, and Artemis' eyes drifted over to it. She looked at the clothes, then back at the door. She stood up, still holding the blanket close, and walked to the door. She quickly clicked the lock, and turned back to get changed, all the while quivering.

Percy walked downstairs and into the living room, where Selena was watching Scooby Doo episodes on the flat screen TV they had, a bowl of cereal in her hands. "Hey pumpkin, you alright?" He asked, and she nodded. "Yup!" She said happily, staring at the screen. "Where's mom?" She asked, finishing her cereal. Percy sighed. "Mom's still asleep, so I'm gonna bring her breakfast. You want pancakes?" He asked,and the little girl grinned. "Yup! Blue?" She asked, and Percy winked. "You know it."

As Percy summoned the plates and got out a tray for Artemis', there was a loud banging on the front door. He sighed, going to answer it. The second he turned the handle, it burst open, and the god of music grabbed Percy by the shoulder. "Where is she!? I heard her scream." He said, turning and pushing him into a room.

Unfortunately, that room was the kitchen, and in the adjoining living room Selena saw Apollo bully her father. "Apollo! Why'd you hurt dad?" She asked confusedly and quite angry. Apollo stuttered, not expecting to see Selena. Lucky for him, Percy covered for him. "Selena, baby, do you wanna take your pancakes and one of your dvds and go watch it in the theater, please?" He requested, and Selena nodded. "Can I have popcorn?" She asked.

Percy sighed once again , grabbing a popcorn packet from the cupboard and handing it to the angry sun god. "What am I supposed to do with this?" He asked, and Percy facepalmed. "You're the sun god. Just use some sun powers and heat them so they pop. Don't burn them." He told the god, who instantly heated the packet, resulting in what sounded like the beaches of Normandy on June 6th 1944.

Armed with a plate of blue pancakes and a bag of popcorn in her hands and with the dvd case of Despicable Me held in between her teeth Selena made her way to and down the staircase that led to the basement, where their home theater was one of a few large rooms underground.

As Percy turned back to Apollo, the god crossed his arms, pissed off. Percy rubbed the bridge of his nose annoyedly. "Okay, before we go see her, I should say that I'm just as confused as you. We weren't awake yesterday, none of us were. We just woke up and now… well, you'll see." He said.

Apollo shoved him against the counter. "I'm going to ask my sister what happened, not you. I swear on the Styx, if you hurt her, I will find a way to kill you." He promised, and Percy nodded, swallowing despite how barren his mouth had become. He quickly poured some cokes for him and Artemis and placed the glasses on the tray.

Picking the tray up, Percy led Apollo upstairs and down the hall to his bedroom, where he got Apollo to knock for him. It took a few moments, but eventually the lock clicked, and they opened the door.

Artemis was across the room, sitting back down against the wall among her blankets. She was still shivering a bit, but now she was wearing Percy's clothes, which was good. Apollo raced over to her, sitting down and pulling his sister into his embrace. "Little sis! What's wrong? What happened? Did he hurt you?" He asked, glaring at Percy.

Both her body and head were shaking, and she tried to explain it to her twin. "N-no! I woke up a-and I- we were n-naked." She said, still very much frightened. Apollo took this the wrong way, and stood up to charge Percy. "You bastard!" He yelled, and Percy had to steady himself to prevent dropping the pancakes.

Artemis suddenly snapped out of it and grabbed his arm, halting him in his tracks. "No! It wasn't his fault! It was Diana and Perses yesterday." She said,and Apollo crossed his arms. "Well then let's bring them out." He suggested with annoyance in his voice. Percy chose this time to barge past him and kneel down. "Artemis, are you hungry?" He asked, and the goddess eyed the food warily.

Then she nodded, and Percy set the tray down in front of her. "Are you going to have some?" She asked, and Percy shook his head. "I'll get mine later." He told her, and she shook her head. "I'm not having some until you have some." She said, pushing the tray away. Percy sighed at her selflessness and sat down next to her, bringing the tray up onto their laps and placing their drinks on the ground next to him.

Artemis leaned on him as he grabbed the fork and took the first bite. When he attempted to hand her the fork, she shook her head. "No, you need to eat too. We'll alternate bites." She told him tiredly, her eyes barely open. He smiled, happy that she cared enough about him to share her food with only one fork. Apollo stood there with his arms crossed as he watched the two be so close, and after a while Artemis soon got annoyed by this.

"Brother, can you either sit down and stop glaring or go somewhere else, please. Percy did nothing to me. He's actually been very good to me, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped staring at him like he's a rapist." She scolded, and Apollo sighed, leaving the room. "I'll be watching whatever with Selena. Come find me when you're ready." He told them, leaving the room. Percy called after him. "Help yourselves to drinks!" He yelled, receiving no answer.

The two ate peacefully as they leaned against each other, and Artemis smiled. "These are good, I didn't know you could cook." She told him, and he shook his head. "A little gift from Hestia for giving her back her throne. Of course, I usually just get the real things, but it comes in handy when I can't be bothered cooking or going out for food. Plus, this is my mom's recipe, and she makes it so much better than I do." He told her, before he slowed his chewing and swallowed.

Artemis looked at him with worry as he stared at the wall in front of him. "Are you okay?" She asked, and he stared blankly ahead. "I haven't told my mom about this, about us. I… we should see her, I want you to meet her." He told the goddess, whose eyes widened. She had never expected a meet the parents situation, since she already knew Poseidon and had met Amphitrite.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, yeah, once we get all this sorted out we'll go visit her." He said, cutting up another pancake and feeding her. Soon they finished and flushed it all down with their cokes. As they sat back, they both stared at the wall ahead of them. "Hey Artemis…" He began, and the goddess in question hummed in acknowledgement. Percy sighed. "What if… what if Perses and Diana, you know, did it? How would you feel?" He asked.

Artemis sat there for a moment and thought. Truthfully, she did not know if she would be as upset as she once was. Times have changed, especially in recent years. People change, Artemis had changed. Now that she was engaged to most likely the greatest man on earth, who would never hurt her, she had become slightly disillusioned with the eternal maiden vow. Originally it had been a vow by Zeus to never marry her off, but then after many centuries the vow became stale, and she traded it for a chastity vow, since she had yet to lose her virginity.

Now, since he wasn't restricted from marrying her, Zeus betrothed her to his nephew, who happened to be the most perfect man she'd ever met. He was kind, loyal, strong, humble, and most importantly, he was good to her. She had spent hours contemplating her vow over the past week, and as each day passed she became less enthusiastic with it. She often wondered if breaking her vow would better their marriage. Percy assured her he was fine with the whole no sex thing, but she was their when he admitted his lie to Aphrodite, and she saw in his eyes that he was sad the day he vowed away his right to breed.

She often considered the idea of an open relationship. She would let Percy sleep with mortals and goddesses to produce offspring that will strengthen Olympus, and in return Percy would come back to her the next morning, he would stay with her. He could breed and receive his pleasure, and at the end of the day he would stay and love Artemis. And who knows, perhaps she could even get Athena to teach her the mind-baby trick. There were good men out there, but just none had ever come close enough to her to be a love interest, or they were gay. Percy did though, despite all odds.

But then there was the case of their sexual relationship. Would she want to surrender her maidenhood? In the eyes of many, they would not be married until it was consummated, but there were many more who simply thought the love was reason enough for a marriage to be official. Artemis liked that idea more, but she was still hung on what her true feelings were about giving Percy her virginity. "I… I don't know. Diana is her own person, with her own choices, but if she lost her virginity… it'd be the end of an era." _And maybe I'd reconsider._ She wanted to say, but she held her lips shut.

Percy nodded, and they sat there for a while more. Eventually, Percy rubbed her side and told her they should go, to which the goddess nodded. Percy stood up, and held out a hand. She took it gratefully, and they stood up. Artemis mind-messaged Apollo, who flashed into the room. "You ready?" He asked, while Percy flashed their dishes away. "Yep, did you tell Selena we'll be busy?" He asked, and Apollo nodded. "She's fine, I got her another dvd to hold her over. Let's go." He said, and the two gods nodded.

Percy and Artemis shut their eyes, and silently called their Roman aspects from their slumber. There was a mixed flash of silver and sea-green, before there were suddenly two clones of them standing to their sides. Perses and Diana were a mess, barely clothed, bed hair and bags under their eyes. Diana yawned, Roman gods were always tired when they were called out of their sleep. "What the hell do you want?" She snapped, irritated at being disturbed.

Artemis crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Don't take that tone with me. You two are in big trouble." She said, and Perses stretched. "Why? What'd we do?" He asked, and this time it was Percy's turn to tell them off. "Don't play innocent, we know what you two did." He said, which caught the two gods off guard as they realised what the Greeks were talking about.

Diana scratched her arm nervously. "We don't know what you're talking about. We avoided each other yesterday." She said, making Artemis scoffed. "Well you must have given up before bed, because Percy and I woke up together." She said, which was quickly continued by Percy. "It must have been awfully hot, too. The two of you managed to lose your clothes." He raised an eyebrow.

Diana and Perses both looked at each other nervously. Neither of them were wearing much, which only added to the obviousness. Perses wasn't wearing a shirt or pants, only some black briefs, and Diana was wearing a loose shirt and boxer shorts, similar to Artemis'. "Diana, Perses." Artemis began, and they met her eyes shamefully. "Did you two sleep together?" She asked with a glare.

Perses was about to answer, but Diana snapped. "So what if I did? Are you gonna call me a slut? Disown me? Turn everyone against me? You don't control me, Artemis! I'm not a child, I'm free to make my own decisions! This whole virgin thing was stupid, and I didn't even come up with it! It was forced upon me when I was born, I never agreed to forfeit laying with a man. I opened my eyes for the first time under an oath, an oath I never took nor agreed to!" She yelled, catching everyone off guard.

"Just because I finally chose to do something that you disagree with, to do something of my own free will, does not make me a bad person! I slept with my fiance! Does that make me a whore? No! And I won't let you tell me otherwise. I am my own person, Artemis, and I want you to respect that. Yes, I slept with Perses, and I'll say it, last night was the greatest night of my life! I've spent 2000 years forcing myself to stay away from the temptations of men, and now that I've felt the touch of one, I'm not gonna let you lock me away again!" She screamed, tears of fury in her eyes.

She breathed heavily, angrily wiping the tears away in shame. "I'm not a bad person for doing what I want, Artemis. You're a bad person for telling me I can't do something because you don't like it." She said quietly, sending everyone into a silence of shock. Perses awkwardly went up and hugged her, avoiding eye contact with Artemis.

Artemis stood in shock for a moment, before stepping forward. When she saw her other aspect approaching, Diana left Perses' embrace. As the two gods stood next to each other, Percy told his Roman form to get some clothes on, which he abided with.

The Greek goddess approached the woman she thought of as a sister, and pulled her into a hug, shocking everyone in the room, including Diana. Artemis rubbed her back as Diana wrapped her arms around the Greek. "I'm not mad, I'm not even really upset. I'm happy for you. I'm happy that you found someone worthy enough, and I'm happy you were strong enough to do what I never could." She congratulated the goddess, who smiled into her other half's shoulder.

"Y-you… you don't think I'm a slut?" She asked, and Artemis shook her head. "No, why would I? You and Perses are engaged, and I truly think he's the one for you. What's wrong with you two having sex? It's really just a proclamation of love." She said soothingly, and Diana was practically leaning on her as tears threatened her again. "You have _no_ idea how much that means to me. Thank you, Artemis. I love you." She said affectionately, and Artemis smiled, kissing the forehead of her other half. "I love you too."

As they parted, Diana whispered something into Artemis' ear, which no one else caught. It must have been embarrassing though, because Artemis' face lit up like the White House in 1814.

Apollo was looking at them suspiciously, and with a flash of gold light, Phoebus was suddenly in the room, and Apollo was gone. "Diana, come with me." He said, and Diana reluctantly took him hand. Confused, the rest of the people in the group linked hands, and Phoebus allowed them entry into his palace. They arrived in his built-in hospital ward, and he commanded his twin to sit on the bed.

Diana complied, and crossed her arms impatiently. "What is this about, Phoebus?" She asked, but he didn't answer. The god rushed across the room, gathering various items before stopping beside the bed. He fiddled with some buttons on a computer next to the bed, before grabbing the tv remote and turning it on. The screen was blank, and they all looked at him in confusion.

Phoebus gently layed her down, much to her annoyance, and opened a small tin. He dipped his hand in and put the tin down, before pulling Diana's shirt up to just under her breasts. "Hey!" She snapped, reaching to pull her shirt back down, but Phoebus stopped her. "Sit still, the only people in here are either your twin, you, or your boyfriends." He reprimanded, and she huffed, before laying still and trying not to move, lest he cut her open or something.

Phoebus then began rubbing his hand all over Diana's stomach, and the others in the room noticed there was some weird gel on his hand. Diana shivered and cried out at the first touch. "Zeus' ass, that's cold. So fucking cold." She shivered, and Perses moved to hold her hand and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

Artemis looked at Percy, and saw he was deathly pale. "What's wrong?" She asked, and he stuttered. "I've.. I-I've seen this before. I went with my m-mom to one of these. But… surely not…" He muttered, and Artemis furrowed her eyebrows in worry.

When he had finished spreading the gel, Phoebus grabbed a strange utensil from the bench and plugged it in. "Now watch the tv. Normally this wouldn't work for a few weeks, but luckily we're gods." He said, before pressing the object to her stomach. They saw nothing for a while, just static as Phoebus shifted the probe around. Then, after a minute or two, they could spot a distortion in the static.

"What's that?" Perses asked, and Phoebus smiled, putting the probe down after screenshotting. He pulled up the photo and stood. "That, Perses, is your future son or daughter." He said, and the room went dead silent.

**So Imma end it there. Originally the chapter was gonna be twice as long, with them going to sallys and stuff, but I'll save that for the next chapter. For starters, I wanna thank the community. This story is blowing up on there, and it's becoming bigger than my actually big story, The Dark Lord. Sorry I haven't uploaded that in a while, but I'm on a roll with this story. See ya losers.**

**Word Count: 3650**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: First to Know

**Let's hope I write this one quick, since I have it all planned and it isn't just a filler chapter. Also, can we all go over to Page9900's profile on Wattpad and check out her new oneshot stories, cause they are pure gold. Also, shoutout to TheSonofTartarus on Wattpad.**

Chapter 9: First to Know

Perses and Diana stared at the tv, mortified, and Percy and Artemis were shocked. The Greek goddess looked slightly sad, while the Roman felt her bottom lip quiver. "I… I'm pregnant?" She asked, and Phoebus nodded.

Perses gulped. "We didn't use protection… I'm so stupid." He chastised himself, but Diana put her hand on his arm, still staring at the screen. "We didn't exactly prepare. Oh gods, we're gonna be parents." She said, hypnotised by the small fuzzy blob on the screen.

Diana gulped. "But… but we're Roman gods. I'm probably gonna be asleep when this baby comes! How is Perses gonna be able to be there? Oh gods, I don't… I don't if I'm ready for this." She hyperventilated, and Perses quickly embraced her, calming the goddess down.

Percy and Artemis looked at each other, and a thought crossed Percy's mind. He led her aside and whispered in her ear, making Artemis' eyes widen. "Would that work?" She asked, and he shrugged. "I don't know, you're the experienced one." He reminded her.

Artemis returned to the gods and knelt down next to her other half. "Diana, Percy and I talked and… we'd like to ask if you and Perses wanted us to, uh, _connect_ our mind-world things, so that even when you guys aren't in control, you can still be together." She said, and Percy came over as well, finishing for her. "That way Perses can also take care of you and the baby, and should it arrive while you guys are asleep, he can get you help." He told her.

Diana stared at the two of them with tears in her eyes, and Perses' jaw had dropped. "You… you'd do that? But… wouldn't that weaken you guys? Having to keep that link active and everything?" She asked, and Percy took her hand. "Diana, this baby is kinda ours too, and we want it to be safe and healthy. Trust me, it's worth it." He told her.

Surprising everyone in the room, Diana leapt up and embraced Percy, bringing the total count of men she's hugged to 3, or perhaps 2 1/2. The god in question stepped back a bit in shock, but quickly got over it and smiled, hugging back. Diana reached out her right arm and pulled Artemis to her feet, before dragging her into the hug as well. "Thank you… thank you so much." She said, holding back her tears, and Percy and Artemis rubbed her back soothingly.

Diana let go of them, and the two gods backed up a bit. "So what do we do now?" Perses asked, and Phoebus sighed. "Well, it'll be complicated with the whole isolation for 29/30 days every month, but I'm sure we can meet for a checkup every _Pars Deorum_. For now though, I guess just follow common sense for the first few weeks. Don't drink alcohol, don't get punched in the gut, and go easy on the _nightly affairs_." He ended with a sly smile and a wink, making Perses' eyes widen and Diana's face turn red both in embarrassment and anger.

Artemis cleared her throat, and the three gods turned to them. "Percy and I have errands to run, so I guess you guys can hang around in the real world today. When we get back we'll sort out these new living conditions for you guys." She told them, to the agreement of everyone.

Diana stood and walked over, before pulling Artemis close again. "Really, thank you. For everything." She whispered, making the Greek smile. "No problem, sister." She said, hugging back. "Take care of our son." She said, and Diana pulled back slightly. "Son?" She asked, and Artemis shrugged. "Just a hunch. 50/50 chance I'm right, anyway." She said, and the Roman laughed slightly.

When the two parted, Artemis returned to Percy. The two gods of heroes nodded at each other, before the Greeks exited the room and left the palace through the front doors. Artemis sighed, looking down the streets of Olympus. "Well, I guess we really do have a reason to visit your mother now, huh?" She joked, and Percy cracked a grin. "That we do, milady. But first, we should tell Selena she's gonna be a big sister." He advised. Artemis held out her elbow in a playful way. "Of course, my _lord_." She said, making fun of the way some demigods tended to refer to him.

Percy couldn't help but laugh as he linked arms with her and flashed them into his palace.

Selena had finished her movie by now, and was wandering around the house, looking for her parents. She walked through the large palace, searching every room, and soon she ended her manhunt by returning to the basement stairs, where she'd started. She scratched her head in confusion, before deciding that her parents had gone out, leaving her alone in the house.

As it dawned on her that she was home alone, Selena smirked, and headed for the kitchen. She grabbed one of the stools from the kitchen counter and dragged it over, proceeding to climb up onto it and try to balance herself. Once she gained a form of confidence, she reached for the uppermost cabinet, swinging open and looking inside.

As she looked around, her eyes found the item she was searching for. Her father's bag of chocolates. As she reached inside, Percy happened to walk through the door, and upon turning, saw his daughter attempting theft. "Oh no you don't." He said, walking over and sweeping her off the stool and into his arms before she could grab the treats.

"Oh come on!" Selena exclaimed as her father swung her around, before her annoyance turned into giggles of laughter as he threw her up and down. Artemis walked in too, and she smiled as she watched her stepdaughter and fiance play together.

Percy eventually had to slow down the swinging, and settled for holding his young daughter bridal style while she finished off her fits of laughter. When his daughter calmed down and Artemis had sat on the lazyboy, Percy set her down. "Okay, Selena, we're gonna have a talk, so why don't you go sit by mom." He said, and his daughter furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and worry, before moving over and sitting on Artemis' lap.

"Am I in trouble? I'm sorry for trying to steal your chocolates." She said truthfully, and Percy smiled, standing in front of her. "No, princess, you're not in trouble. In fact…" He said, walking over to the open cabinet and grabbing the chocolates. Selena's eyes lit up when she saw the bag, and he walked over and handed it to her. As kind as she was, she offered the first ones to her mother and father, who smiled and accepted.

As she munched down on some delectable chocolates, Percy knelt down in front of her. "Okay, Selena, you remember Diana and… well, other dad?" He asked, and she nodded. "Daddy 2." She reminded him, and he chuckled, accompanied by Artemis. "Well, Daddy 2 and Diana had some good news this morning. Diana is having a baby." He said, and Selena paused her eating.

She looked between the two of them, and thought. "Wait… does that mean mommy's having one?" She asked, still barely comprehensive of the whole Roman aspect thing. Artemis shook her head, grabbing another chocolate. "No, sweetheart, but since Diana is just another version of me, it will also be my child, as it will also be your father's." She told the girl, who froze and thought it over.

"Does that mean I get a brother or sister?" She asked, not understanding how families worked. Percy laughed slightly, and nodded. "Yes, darling. In a few months, you'll be a big sister." He told her, getting the little girl excited. "Really?" She asked, and Artemis nodded. "Really." She said with finality.

That sent Selena off the rails.

The little girl squealed, jumping off of Artemis' lap and into Percy's arms. The man made an 'oomph' sound as he was thrown backwards, and Selena hugged herself tightly to him as she squealed. "I'M GONNA BE A SISTER!" She yelled, nearly deafening Percy. Artemis was bent over, laughing at the god's misfortune, or at least until Percy grabbed her arm and dragged her to the floor with him.

The three rolled around on the floor together, laughing their asses off, and Selena, looking to cause trouble, grabbed a pillow from the pull-out couch that Percy had been laying on over a week ago to watch tv. Catching her father off guard, she smashed it onto his head with a loud _thump_. As he was stunned and confused, Artemis saw what happened and got on her knees, pointing and laughing as she clutched her stomach tight.

Not letting her get the satisfaction of laughing at him, Percy grabbed another one off the couch and hit Selena in the stomach, before uppercutting Artemis with it. Sprawled on her back, Artemis glared playfully, before grabbing the last pillow and hitting him in the side.

As Percy went for another hit, Selena whacked him in the butt, making him turn around, only to be struck down from behind. Under assumption it was a free for all, Artemis whacked Selena, who giggled madly as she fell to the ground.

This continued for a while, with no clear winner in sight. Every time Percy was about to overpower them with his superior strength, the two girls would team up to knock him down. Eventually, there was a winner, as Percy whacked Artemis so hard that the pillow fell right out of her hands and across the room. He cheered triumphantly, but was soon humbled when Selena smacked the pillow out of his hand and picked it up, dual-wielding. Percy attempted to beg for mercy, but was beaten into the ground by the relentless three year old.

While Selena stood giggling and eating chocolates, the clear winner, Percy and Artemis were laying on the ground and panting. They lay next to each other, Artemis' arm basically brushing up against his, and they both simultaneously turned their heads to look at the other, still panting.

Artemis' eyes bore into his, and Percy took a good look at them. They were deep, and full of memory. They truly were the eyes of an immortal, of a goddess. "You let that little girl disarm you?" She teased, smirking, to which Percy returned the favor. "I still beat you, didn't I?" He reminded her, shutting her up.

The two lay there, staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds, before they both closed them and leaned closer. Percy's forehead came to rest against hers, and he could feel her breath on his mouth. Cautiously and hesitantly, Percy moved her mouth closer, and Artemis didn't back away. Taking this as permission granted, his lips connected with hers.

As cliche as it sounds, Artemis felt sparks fly when the son of Poseidon kissed her. It was her first kiss, and it felt strange. She felt tingly inside, and she smiled slightly and kissed back. Percy tentatively reached the hand to her back, and Artemis placed one on his shoulder. The two remained on the floor for half a minute, lips locked and arms around each other, before they heard the distinct sound of chocolate being crunched.

"You guys are gross." Selena commented, feasting on her treats and staring at them in slight disgust. The moment ruined, the gods disconnected, and Artemis smiled giddily and stared into his eyes. "That was my first kiss." She blushed, kind of embarrassed at how inexperienced she was. Percy smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, that was good for a first time. At least you didn't just press your face against mine and squeeze your eyes shut." He complimented, and the goddess blushed at such praise.

The two stood up, and Percy pulled Selena into a hug. "Wanna go see grandma and grandpa?" He asked, and she smiled, nodding rapidly. "Yup! Can I bring my chocolates?" She asked, and Percy nodded. "Only if you share them." He told her, to which she nodded.

The little girl ran off to get ready, and Percy finally flashed on a shirt (yes he's been shirtless that entire time) and some jeans. Artemis, realising she was still wearing Percy's hoodie and boxers, flashed on her usual attire, but Percy summoned his hoodie. "Keep it on, it looks good on you. Plus, the size makes you look cute." He winked, making Artemis blush. It was a minute after their first kiss and he was already flirting with her.

Selena charged downstairs a few minutes later, dressed and ready to go, and she held her dad's hand. Together, Percy flashed the three of them out to his mother's apartment.

They arrived in the hallway just outside, and Percy took the moment to wipe some chocolate off of his daughter's face. Once that was done, he looked at Artemis, still holding her hand. "You good?" He asked, and she nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." She confirmed, and he broke their hand-holding momentarily to knock on the door.

It took a few seconds, but eventually the door opened, and a man peeked his head out. "Percy?" Paul asked, opening the door fully. "Hi, grandpa. Chocolate?" Selena offered, holding out the bag. The man smiled, greeting her and accepting one of her treats. Percy smiled. "Hey Paul. Is mom home?" He asked, and Paul nodded, munching down on the chocolate.

He turned to Artemis, and noticed their linked hands. "Who's your friend?" He asked, and Artemis cleared her throat, trying to be as respectful as she could to the male Percy saw as a father-figure. "I'm Artemis, Percy's fiance." She informed him, and Paul stopped chewing.

"Sally! We have visitors!" He yelled, stepping aside to let them in. As they entered the apartment, they heard the sound of something metal being put down in the kitchen, before a woman walked in. When she saw the woman, Selena left her father's company. "Grandma!" She yelled, running to hug the middle-aged woman.

Sally Jackson smiled at the surprise and hugged back, lifting the small child up and resting her on her hip. "Hey! I didn't know you guys were coming around." She commented, accepting when Selena offered her a chocolate. "Actually, I just made cookies, let me get them. Have a seat!" She said, gesturing to the couch.

Percy and Artemis did so, while Selena walked around. Paul smiled. "So how have things been?" He asked casually, and Percy shrugged. "Well, as you can tell," He said, nodding to Artemis on his right. "It's been a busy week." Paul laughed, nervously looking at Artemis.

"So… are you like, _that _Artemis?" He asked tentatively, and Artemis' eyes widened. She didn't know Percy's stepfather knew about the Greek gods. She composed herself. "Yes, I am the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, chastity, moon, and childbirth." She informed him, and the middle aged man sat back a bit. "Cool." He said simply.

Thankfully, Sally entered with two plates of blue cookies, which she set down on the table. "So, how've you guys been. Oh, I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I'm Sally, and you are?" She asked, reaching out to shake her hand. Artemis took it, and was about to answer when Percy cleared his throat. "Mom, this is my fiance, Artemis, the goddess."

The woman was silent, which made Artemis nervous. What if she was disapproving of her? Artemis knew she shouldn't let the opinions of a mortal bother her, but damn near every god respected the mother of Percy Jackson. If she didn't like Artemis, there must be something wrong with the goddess.

"Your… fiance?" Sally asked through clenched teeth. Percy gulped, and nodded. "Yep. We got together last week." He said, which made Sally sound even more pissed off. "Last week? Last week and now you're engaged?" She asked, slightly ticked off.

Percy stuttered, not knowing what to say, but thankfully Artemis covered for him. She placed her hand on his arm, calming him. "What my _fiance_ forgot to mention was that we weren't engaged last week, we were betrothed." She said, making the adults raise an eyebrow. "Betrothed?" Sally asked, holding back some anger.

Percy nodded. "Dad and Zeus got into a fight, so to achieve world peace they married off their favorite kids." He informed her, which set Sally off.

"THAT BASTARD!" She shouted, standing up in a rage. Scared, Percy scooped up around 6 cookies and called his daughter over. "Sweetie, go play somewhere else." He told her, dumping the cookies in her arms. She nodded, placing one of them in her mouth and running off down the hall.

Now that her granddaughter was out of the room, Sally grabbed a stool from the kitchen and threw it across the room. As the three other inhabitants of the room cringed at the noise, Sally proceeded to tear apart a good portion of the room. Not really wanting to have to pay to replace all the things she was breaking, Paul stood up and hugged her from behind, essentially restraining her. "Honey, H-Sally, calm down. Calm down, you're breaking everything." He said, and Sally gradually ceased her rage.

Now panting, she looked around at all the damage she had caused. "If I ever see that damned sea god again, he is dead!" She said, and Percy laughed while munching on a cookie. He offered one to Artemis, who accepted and tentatively took a bite.

As she chewed it up in her mouth, she felt a euphoria stir in her. "Mmm, this is delicious!" She complimented, relishing in the baked goods. To her, they tasted better than ambrosia. Sally heard her and smiled. "Thank you, Lady Artemis. I'm so sorry for what just happened, Poseidon infuriates me sometimes." She said, and Artemis chuckled. "You sound like Athena."

Sally and Paul sat back down and began to talk with them. "So, you guys got betrothed last week. How have things been?" She asked, and Percy answered. "It's been good. Selena's taken to calling Artemis mom, so we know she's cool with this. The hunt doesn't hate me too much anymore, so that's good. I actually forgot to tell Selena's school why she was absent, so I got in trouble for that. But other than that, nothing much has happened." He said, putting off the big news for now.

"And how has he been treating you, Lady Artemis? Has my son been good to you?" She turned to the goddess, who averted her eyes. "Percy has been amazing to me, Mrs Jackson. He's… he's just been so good. He helped out with the hunters when we were staying with them, he saved and carried me to safety after I was assaulted in the woods, and most importantly, he hasn't attempted to force himself on me or even pressured me to do _you know what_." She said, which brightened Sally's spirits. "At least I got one thing right when raising him." She remarked, earning a 'hey!' from Percy.

Deciding to have a bit of fun and play a little prank on Percy, Artemis turned on her acting skills and her face darkened. "Although, not too long before we came here, he beat me." She told them, and Paul and Sally's eyes widened. As the Jackson woman's eyes lit up in flames and she prepared to tear Percy a new one, he choked on his cookies and yelped. "It was a pillow fight!" He assured his mother, who then looked to Artemis for confirmation.

Artemis couldn't hold it together anymore, and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't joke about that, but it was worth it to see Percy scared." She apologised, and Paul laughed a bit while Sally smiled. Percy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, playfully glaring at her from the corner of his eye. Sally turned to Artemis. "Oh, and Lady Artemis, please, call me Sally. Mrs Jackson makes me sound old." She commented, and Artemis thanked her. "Please, drop the 'lady' part of my name then."

Percy then cleared his throat and sat up. "I guess we should probably tell you the big news." He said, and Artemis sat up when she realised what this was. Sally and Paul raised an eyebrow and looked at each other in confusion. "I thought that was the big news? That you guys were engaged?" Paul asked, and Percy shook his head.

Artemis gently linked hands with him as the god struggled to find the confidence and words needed. When he felt her warm hand in his, he gave her a side glance and a smile, before sitting up again. "Mom, Paul, you guys are gonna be grandparents again." He smiled, but that was before Sally launched herself across the table and slapped him.

Artemis and Paul's eyes widened as Percy clutched his face in pain. "Ow! Mom, what was that for?" He exclaimed, and Sally glared at him. "I thought I raised you better than this! How could you get someone pregnant before marrying them!?" She scolded him, and Percy looked at her incredulously, before understanding why she was confused.

Artemis explained it for her. "Mrs- Sally, it's not Percy's fault. I don't know if you know this, but yesterday was the monthly _Pars Deorum_, or Party of the Gods, or Roman Festival, whatever you want to call it. It's the day our Roman aspects gain control for a day to stretch their legs and socialize. Well, it seems our Roman forms Perses and Diana did a little too much socializing, and now she's pregnant. So, I'm not pregant, and Percy didn't have sex with me. Although, since our Roman aspects are, well… us, the baby is ours too, but it will gain a Greek form and that will be our child." She informed her.

Sally sat back in confusion and rubbed her temples. "So… Percy didn't knock you up, but you're still having a baby?" She asked, and the young couple nodded. "It's just Artemis other half is giving birth to it, so it'll be Roman by birth but it will get a Greek form that will be our child, despite Artemis not carrying it." He explained, and she nodded.

Sally put her head in her hands, taking deep breaths. "Jesus, my son's getting married and having another kid." She then lifted her head. "We better be at the wedding, and I want to see it as soon as possible after it comes." She said, and Percy smirked. "I'm sure we can arrange transports for you and Paul, and once Diana lets go of it and allows us to hold it, we'll let you see it." He promised, and his mother smiled.

The four continued to chat amiably, with Sally and Paul getting to know Artemis better, and even giving her their blessing to marry Percy. Eventually, Paul stood up. "Well, I guess I'll go tell Selena she can come back in." He said, and they nodded, not paying it any mind as he walked off.

While Sally chatted with Percy and Artemis, they did not expect to hear Paul shouting for them to come as quickly as they could, but unfortunately, that's exactly what they heard. Fearing the worst, Percy jumped up and sprinted down the hall, Artemis and Sally hot on his tail. Percy barged into the room, nearly pushing over Paul in the doorway, and what he saw shocked him.

"Mom, did you put drugs in those cookies?" He asked, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, before the two women entered the room. As their jaws dropped, Paul backed up a bit. "This is some Shining stuff." He commented, and Artemis' eyes were wide. "Oh gods." Sally stepped past Paul. "Selena?" She asked hesitantly.

Why were the four so frightened, you may ask? Well, standing in the middle of the room were two Selena's, nearly identical to each other, sharing their chocolates and staring at them.

**Imma leave you on a cliffhanger. What do you think happened? I think it's fairly obvious, but leave further theories and solutions in the comments/reviews. Also, what US state is your favorite? What TV show has the best theme song? What is your favorite One Direction song? Please answer these questions.**

**Word Count: 4134**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Didn't Expect That

**Sorry this took so long, I'm collaborating with Ihave4cutedoggos on a story, also I am really sorry for that fake chapter I posted. Bad week.**

Chapter 10: Didn't Expect That

Percy, Artemis, Sally and Paul all stood there staring at Selena, the _two_ Selena's, in shock. "Selena? Are, um, are you okay, honey?" Sally asked tentatively, and the girl nodded

"Yup! This is my friend, I Don't Know." She introduced, and the other girl giggled madly. "That's not my name, silly! I said I dunno what my name is." She told her, and Selena giggled at her mistake. "Ohhhh, whoops." She giggled, munching down on some more chocolates.

Percy was horrified, and he looked to Artemis. Artemis had a thoughtful look on her face, and her eyes snapped to Percy's. _It can't be_. He heard her voice in his head, and he somehow knew what she meant by that.

He looked down at his wrist, at the ichor pumping in his veins, and he got an idea. "Sweetie…" He began, and the two girls looked at him simultaneously. It was spooky. "Can… Can daddy try something?" He asked politely, and Selena thought for a moment. She turned to her twin, and the mysterious girl nodded in confirmation. "Okay."

Percy walked over and took her hand, before pulling Riptide out of his pocket. Recognizing the pen, Sally's eyes widened. "Percy! What are you doing?" She asked, coming forward, but Artemis held out an arm to block her. "Don't worry, Sally. He's testing something." She assured the woman, who hesitantly stepped back to be next to her husband.

Percy knelt down and looked her in the eye. "This is gonna hurt a bit, princess. But you're a big girl, you'll be fine. I promise." He told her, and she smiled. "Okay, I trust you." She said, and her identical twin leaned over to see what Percy was doing.

Percy uncapped Riptide, revealing a long celestial bronze xiphos. At the sight of the sword, Selena frowned slightly, but held her ground. Percy brought the sword up to her hand,and staring her in the eye to keep her attention on him, created a slit in her hand. Big enough for blood to come out, but no big that they'd have to get her medical attention.

It was not blood that came out of the girl's hand, however, but a sparkling golden liquid. Ichor, the blood of the gods. The sight of such liquid frightened Selena, and all hell broke loose.

The girl let out a high pitched shriek, and as she saw a faint glow coming from various points in her skin, Artemis rushed to cover Paul and Sally's eyes and push them into the hallway. She shut the door right as Selena combusted, and her twin disappeared while the girl's true form was revealed.

She looked exactly as Selena had before, but now she appeared to be made entirely out of light, a shade of cyan to be exact. Not powerful enough to reach her in their human forms, Percy and Artemis also shifted, becoming beings of light identical to their human forms, only they glowed sea-green and silver.

"Selena, baby, you need to calm down!" Percy said anxiously, his ethereal voice echoing despite the room not being too large. His daughter ignored him and sunk to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her head in them.

When the two gods took another step closer, there was another large pulse of power, and Percy and Artemis were thrown back. "She's too strong, Percy! She has no domains, so she's as powerful as an Olympian!" She told him, and Percy looked at the girl in shock.

How could this be? Selena couldn't possibly be a god, how had he never noticed. Her mother was a mortal! Unless…

While the two gods tried to reach the young girl, there was a bright flash, and they stepped back in surprise. A pink glow filled the room, and both gods' eyes widened.

Selena, frightened by it all, backed up into a corner and slid down the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in them, while the new arrival slowly approached her. When she noticed the glow throwing her legs, Selena looked up.

Aphrodite stood there in her true form, smiling softly down at the small girl. "It's okay, Selena. You're okay, everything is okay." She said, kneeling down to be at the same height as the small girl.

Selena had no idea what was happening, but she had a strong gut feeling that she was willing to believe. "Mom." She whispered, hugging the goddess of love. Aphrodite smiled and hugged back, kissing the top of her head. "Yes, my daughter. I'm here." She said, happy that Selena finally recognized her, after all these years of obliviousness.

As those words were spoken, Percy and Artemis gasped. Now in her mother's embrace, the chaos surrounding Selena's aura began to die down, and it became okay to approach her.

Selena looked up at Aphrodite, and the love goddess touched her cheek softly. Simultaneously, skin began to cover their celestial forms until their entire bodies were returned to normal. Knowing it was okay, Percy and Artemis shifted back to their mortal forms.

Aphrodite looked at the two gods, and was disappointed by what she saw. Artemis had an upset look on her face, like she felt like crying yet there were no tears in her eyes. Percy's face was very much different.

He had a look of betrayal in his eyes, hidden behind a glare that would pierce anyone's soul. The god was shaking, and Aphrodite looked at him with worry. "Percy-" She tried, reaching out a hand to him, but he backed up a step. "Don't!" He snapped, and she flinched with a hurt expression.

As Percy backed up he took many deep breaths, trying to collect his thoughts. When he looked at Selena, he saw it. Sure, she looked mostly like him, but he could see a lot of Aphrodite in her. The shape of her eyes and nose were like that of the love goddess, and her natural body shape was likely similar to what Aphrodite would have looked like had she ever been a child.

"Percy…" Artemis said, and he looked at his fiance. She stared at him worriedly, and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at it and smiled softly, but the second his eyes traversed back to Aphrodite he couldn't handle it anymore. Amid protests from Aphrodite and Artemis, he turned and ran out of the room, nearly knocking over his mother and step-father on the way out.

She had lied to him. 3 years. She had been there for all 3 years of Selena's life, but she never even tried to step in and become a mother. She never even told him she was the mother of his child. She just dumped the girl on his doorstep and never mentioned it again.

He thought Aphrodite had changed after the Titan war, he thought she was at least trying to become more active in her children's lives. They were friends, if she was the mother of his child, that should mean she'd be even more inclined to be a good mother. _I guess some people never change_. He thought to himself as he dashed out of the apartment.

Not knowing where else to go, he stomped up the stairs as fast as he could, needing to get some fresh air and his own space. Step after step, he tried to rid himself of the thoughts that Aphrodite was Selena's birth mother, it was all so hard to process.

He rammed through the door at the top of the stairs, which swung open and immediately slammed shut behind him. With the wind of such an altitude flowing through his hair, Percy took a deep breath.

The god didn't stay long to stand there and bask in the breeze, instead choosing to sit down on the ledge of the building, many floors off the ground. The Manhattan streets were just as he remembered, bustling with cars and pedestrians trying to get to wherever they needed to be.

He had not come up here for a long while, not since Selena had arrived at his doorstep. It was a good place for him to think and clear his head, as he'd definitely needed to do when he discovered he had a daughter. It was calming, being so high above the earth yet still remaining on solid ground.

"Percy." He heard a voice behind him, and turned his head. Artemis stood there, having seemingly followed him up the stairs. She had a hand on her arm nervously, as if expecting him to snap at her or something. "Yeah?" He asked calmly, noticeably making the goddess' nerves dissipate.

She walked over to him. "Are you alright?" She asked, and he gestured for her to sit. Artemis did so, dangling her legs over the very high drop. Percy sighed, looking back out over the city. "Yeah, just… angry, bitter, I don't really know." He confessed.

They sat in silence for a moment, tyen Artemis turned her head to him. "Do you wanna talk about it?" She offered, resulting in a shrug from Percy. "I'm angry at her. That damned goddess. She knew all this time she was Selena's mother, she'd visited countless times, she _knew_ Selena needed a mother, but she didn't even try." Percy ranted.

Artemis was about to chime in with her own opinion, but Percy cut her off. "And not only that, but she finally decides to show herself not just after Selena finally has a mother, but the second she becomes 'worth something'. I mean, that's the other thing. How did I not know Selena was a… a goddess? It just… I don't get it." He said in slight distress.

As he rested his head in both palms, Artemis didn't really know what to say. She had never been one for actual advice, nor for talks like this. Plus, it's not like she had any experience in parenting, save for the week she'd been Selena's future step mom.

"Percy, I don't know what to say to you. To be honest, I'm just as shocked as you are. Though look on the bright side, you'll never have to worry about losing her, she doesn't have to go to school anymore, and you can have your daughter for all eternity. Not just that, but she's a daughter of Aphrodite, she's gonna turn out pretty." She tried.

Percy scoffed. "Perhaps even a whore too." He commented, which made Artemis' jaw drop. "Wha- Percy! Did you hear what you just said?! I know you're upset but there's no reason to call anyone, especially not your _three year old daughter_, a whore." The goddess scolded as Percy realised what he'd said.

He rubbed his face tiredly with both hands. "Shit, Artemis, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I can't believe I just said that. Gods, this woman's driving me crazy." He sighed. Artemis raised an eyebrow. "You mean Aphrodite?" She clarified.

Percy nodded. "Ever since I became a god she's been trying her best to get with me. For three years we were friends, and maybe even more. I still haven't quite figured out whatever the Hades my feelings are. All these years she tried to get with me, and she never even thought to mention that she gave me my pride and joy? I don't know if she's cruel or just dumb." He said.

Artemis laughed. "Knowing Aphrodite, both." She said, earning from him a chuckle.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company before Percy turned his head to her. She was still wearing his hoodie, which was adorably oversized for her. The goddess' hands didn't even reach out of the sleeves, she looked like a child. "You look cute in that." He complimented.

As intended, the silver goddess blushed, and nervously moved a strand of auburn hair out of her eyes. "Th-thanks." She smiled awkwardly, and he smiled back. The two stared back out at the skyline, and this time it was Artemis who took the initiative to speak.

"So, we had our first kiss." She noted like it was nothing, like this wasn't one of the biggest events of her life and it hadn't happened during a pillow fight which they lost to a toddler. Percy nodded, turning back to her. "Couple goals. Like I said, you were really good. Are you sure you've never kissed anyone? Not even a girl?" He inquired with a cheeky grin.

Artemis blushed, but shook her head. "I've never had any interest in a man, despite what mortals seem to think. For a while, I thought perhaps I liked Zoe, but both of us quickly realised we didn't quite fit together. No big deal though, we were still best friends all the way up until she died." She told him.

Percy nodded. "And what about us?" He asked, making her turn to him in confusion. "Hm?" She hummed questioningly. "What about us? Do you think we fit together?" He asked.

Artemis thought for a moment. "To be honest, I don't know. The fact that this is all arranged and we're being forced into a marriage just makes it so much difficult. I really like you, Percy, but that just makes it feel like Stockholm Syndrome. I'm gonna marry you whether I want to or not, like a trophy. Whenever I feel things for you there's something in me that says it's not real, I'm just trying to get used to it. Then there's the rest of me that screams, yes we fit together." She said, conflicted.

Percy was about to say something until Artemis continued. "But, whether I do _love_ you right now or not, I don't doubt it's gonna arise sometime in the future. You are my idea of a perfect man after all, the only man I'd ever consider loving. It's just a matter of whether I _can _love after an entire life of abstinence." She said.

Percy nodded, staring deep into her silver eyes. Artemis met his as well, and they just looked at each other for a while, not wanting to turn away. "Can I kiss you again? It felt really good the first time." He asked. Artemis was slightly shocked for a moment, but quickly nodding her head and giving permission. She had liked the feel of his lips on hers. Whether it was the act of kissing or just with him in general that made her giddy, she didn't know.

Percy leaned forward and held her cheek, before planting his lips on hers delicately. Artemis closed her eyes and kissed back, putting a hand on the back of his neck. The two smiled, glad to be in such an intimate position again, or at least insanely intimate by Artemis' standards.

When they started to lose the Aether in their lungs, the two had to separate, but not without resting their foreheads on each other's in affection. "You know, you're really getting the hang of this whole relationship thing. You're a good mother, a good kisser, and we've yet to have any fights I think." He said. Artemis laughed at the last one while they parted.

Percy stood up abruptly and held out a hand for her. "Come on, we better go down and see them. I just realised I never even talked to Selena after she got so scared like that. I wanna make sure she's okay." He told her. Artemis nodded, grasping onto his hand and heaving herself up onto both feet.

The two made it no short journey, running down the stairs until they reached his parents' apartement, which they promptly entered. The four they had left behind were no longer in Percy's old room. They were all sat at the dining table, and Selena sat on Sally's lap slowly crunching away at the last of her chocolates.

When she heard the door open and shit, Selena jumped out of her grandmother' lap. "Daddy!" She cried, launching herself at the man in question. Percy caught his daughter in his embrace, spinning her around a few times. "Oh, princess, I'm so sorry for running away like that." He apologized, resting the girl on his hip.

She kissed his cheek, making everyone 'aww' at her cuteness. "It's okay, daddy. Mommy said you were mad at her, so I don't mind." She said. Percy looked at Aphrodite, who smiled awkwardly back. He had never seen the goddess of love so flustered before.

The tiny goddess suddenly plunged from Percy's arms to the ground, where she ran over to the table. "Look what mommy got me!" She exclaimed, holding up a brand new brown teddy bear. "She said it was a present because she was sorry." She said, bringing it over for Percy and Artemis to inspect.

Percy held the bear in his arms, smiling slightly. It wasn't store bought, surprisingly. It appeared to be hand-made, with rough patchwork and a pegasus on the stomach. Percy's symbol of power akin to Poseidon's trident or Artemis' bow.

He looked over to the love goddess. "Did you make this?" He asked, receiving a nod in return. "After the girls night out Arty and I had, I decided I'd finally reveal myself as Selena's mother. I made that as an apology gift for missing the first few years of her life. She seems to like it." She said, nodding to Selena who was frantically clutching at the teddy that was just out of her reach.

Percy laughed and handed it back to her, patting his daughter on the head, who went to sit by her grandparents again. Sally looked over to him. "Percy, we've been talking with Lady Aphrodite and, well, I think you should give her a chance. Let her be there for Selena, forgive and forget. Artemis is doing wonderful, but you can't keep a mother from her child." She advised, much to Aphrodite's agreement.

Percy looked to Artemis for sound wisdom, who simply nodded without saying anything. He turned back to Aphrodite and sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll give you this chance to be a good mother. But please, _please _don't run out on her. Please do your part in raising her." He begged.

Aphrodite smiled and stood, before walking over and hugging her former lover. "Of course, Percy. I'll never leave her again." She promised. Percy nearly shed a tear, but settled for hugging her back tightly.

Selena suddenly piped up from her spot by Sally. "Wait, if I have two mommies, what do I call them?" She asked in confusion, still trying to wrap her head around the whole double mothers thing.

Aphrodite and Artemis looked at each other, so Artemis took the dive. "Well, you can call Aphrodite _mommy_ and call me _mama_, is that better?" She asked. Selena's eyes averted for a moment, as if she was considering this heavily. Percy chuckled as he watched her. It was like she was debating in her own head over such a life-changing decision.

Thankfully, Selena came to a decision. "Yup. You look like a mama anyway." She said, eating the last of her chocolates.

**Oh my lord that took wayy too long. So I'm back from hiatus. I'll finish pff the next Dark Lord chapter after this because I didn't realise how long that chapter was gonna be until afyer I started promising updates in the next day. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, hope it was sorth the wait. Go check out my new mini story/oneshot that I've finished. It's a Percy Jackson Battle Royale Pertemis story.**

**Word Count: 3312**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Birthday Bash

**I don't really have much to say. Here's the next No Choice chapter, a wholesome one. :)**

Chapter 11: Birthday Bash

A few weeks had passed since Aphrodite had revealed herself as Selena's true mother, and things had been running as smoothly as they could with such a revelation.

Selena was desperate to spend time with her biological mother, but also made sure to spend just as much time with Artemis so as to not make her _mama_ jealous. Of course, this meant that in the end, Percy was the one getting the least amount of attention from her, but he couldn't really complain. He'd had her all to himself for three years.

Or rather, four.

Yep, that's right. His little girl was getting older. His little godling.

_Gods, I still don't know how she managed to stay hidden, _Percy thought frustratedly. Aphrodite and Artemis had explained to him how godlings sometimes take a while to grow into their godly forms, like Artemis and Apollo were six before they could even consider becoming gods, thanks to being a bit overdue in the womb. Selena likely hadn't gone through 'godly puberty' yet, and was finally at the stage when that stuff happened.

_"Frequent separation between the two aspects and random combustion into her godly form will occur."_ Apollo had told him. Percy cringed, but was at least glad that it didn't include the symptoms of normal puberty.

Speaking of puberty, Percy was currently watching as Artemis ordered her hunters around the house, each teen doing their part in helping to set it up as a venue worthy of a fourth birthday.

He chuckled as Thalia kept bumping into things trying to unwind the fairy lights, though his cousin caught this. "Would you like to do it?" She asked, hand on her hip. Percy shook his head as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "No, I'm fine. You're the one with the electricity soo…" He left it hanging. Thalia sighed and continued her hard work.

Artemis walked over to him and looked down at the bench. She wore a red flannel jacket and blue t-shirt, alongside her standard skinny jeans and boots. On the kitchen bench he had laid out various party foods such as pizza, chips and candy. Sally would be bringing cookies and cake later on, of course in her famous blue fashion.

Artemis turned to make sure none of her hunters were watching, before turning back to him and pecking her fiance on the lips. They had evolved from awkwardly asking for permission to kiss to now just doing it whenever they felt. Of course, they'd yet to sleep together, as Artemis did not feel comfortable with it yet and Percy personally preferred to wait until marriage.

Artemis found that she enjoyed kissing, and decided that it was not the kissing itself that was so enjoyable, but that she was kissing Percy. If it were anyone else she knew she would not be as eager to do it again.

"Have you guys got everything sorted?" He asked, looking past her towards the hunters. Artemis herself turned, then nodded when she saw her girls were getting their jobs done. Percy's house was _big_, and it'd take another half hour to decorate it all inside.

Percy walked over to the pile of presents in the corner, which was massive already, despite being composed of only theirs and the hunters' so far. He shook his head with a smile. "Spoilt brat." He muttered, picking up one of the boxes that had fallen over and putting it back on top.

Artemis knelt down and helped form the pile into something more presentable, a smile on her face. "You know you love seeing her so happy." She said, and Percy couldn't help but grin. "She deserves every one of these." He said, inspecting Phoebe's gift, which was small and rectangular.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Just don't actually spoil her. I don't want that sweet little girl to become a brat." She warned, and Percy nodded. "It's her birthday, relax." He said, and Artemis shrugged. He was right. The closest thing she had to a child was turning four today.

"Speaking of which, where is that monkey?" She asked, standing up. They had not seen the birthday girl all morning. Artemis had woken up to find the bed empty, and Percy had apparently taken Selena somewhere. Percy stretched as he stood up, stiff joints cracking loudly despite having done little all day.

"Where else? I dropped her off with Aph for the day, she's gonna bring her here when I message her that we're ready." He told her, walking over to help two of the smaller hunters with a few decorations. Artemis nodded, but was then pulled away by Atalanta to help with some difficulties.

A few streets away, in Aphrodite's palace, a little girl munched on some popcorn as she watched netflix with her mother. The beautiful woman holding her smiled as her daughter cuddled up to her comfortably, it brought her back to the days when Percy had been fragile over the break up, and would need to cuddle close to her on the couch. Except now it was a little girl and not a young man.

Earlier that day, Selena had been fast asleep in her comfy bed, dreaming whatever it was that little girls dreamed. Seemingly not too long after she'd fallen asleep, her door creaked open.

In reality, night had passed quickly, and her father crept silently into her room towards the bed. Selena did not stir as Percy slowly got onto her bed, adjusting herself so he was laying next to her.

At 7 in the morning, Percy huddled close to his daughter and wrapped an arm around her stomach. "Happy birthday, my little princess." He whispered, softly kissing her cheek to wake her up.

Selena blinked slowly, nearly one eye at a time, and it took her a while to register what her dad had said. With speed like no other, she sat up and whirled around to face him. "It's my birthday?!" She exclaimed, nearly having forgotten the most important day of the year.

Percy laughed and sat up, pulling his daughter in for a hug. "Yes it is, birthday girl. You're four now, getting bigger every day." He said, sizing her up. Selena gave him a wide grin. "Where's mama?" She asked, and Percy looked to the door. "She's with the hunters, they're gonna sort out your party. And you, monkey, are gonna spend a few hours with mommy. That okay?" He asked gently.

Selena frowned slightly. "But it's my birthday! I wanna be with you, and mama, and the hunters!" She complained. Percy smiled, trying to keep himself composed. "You will. LIke I said, they're gonna get your party ready, and then you and mommy can come and we'll all celebrate." He said.

Selena raised an eyebrow. "What does celibate mean?" She asked, and Percy had to stifle a laugh. "_That_ is something you can ask mama, and gods forbid you ever aren't that. _Celebrate_, however, is like what we did at your last birthday. Remember, at grandma's? Be happy about something, all of us." He quickly explained. Selena nodded.

He clapped his hands, standing up. "Right, go have a shower and get dressed. And don't forget to brush your teeth. I'll take you to mommy's when you're ready." He said. Selena, not wanting to be slow, jumped up and quickly padded towards her personal bathroom. "Yup!" She exclaimed.

Half an hour later, when Selena was dressed and ready to head out for her 4th birthday, Percy came into her room. "All good, princess?" He asked, and Selena waved her arms like a penguin. "Yup!" She told him. Percy crouched down. "Come on, let me smell your breath." He said. Selena giggled and exhaled forcefully onto his face.

It smelled minty, but Percy faked a disgusted expression. "Blegh! Alright, alright, let's go then. You want some candy to hold you over?" He asked, pulling out from behind him a bag of gummy bears. Selena grinned wider than ever and grabbed the bag, tackling him in a hug. "Thank you!" She said, squeezing his neck tight. Percy laughed, and Selena kissed him on the cheek, making Percy nearly die from the cuteness.

The two stood up, and Selena held his hand in her left, the gummy bears clutched tight to her chest. Since she herself still couldn't flash without fear of teleporting into a brick wall, Percy did it for them, arriving on Aphrodite's doorstep and ringing the doorbell.

And now here they were. Selena ate another small handful of bears as they watched Friends. Selena didn't get many of the jokes, but she thought the guys in it were pretty funny and was giggling along with her mother.

When the episode ended, Selena wanted to watch another one, but Aphrodite checked her phone. "Alright, dad's ready. Shall we go?" She asked. Selena nodded, and downed the last of her gummies, of course not before giving a few to her mother.

The little girl jumped up, excited about her party, and rushed her mommy to her feet. Aphrodite stood up and flashed out of her pink nightgown into something more comfy, a pink t-shirt and black skinny jeans. The little girl clutched at her mommy's hand excitedly, and the goddess flashed the two out.

Aphrodite and Selena appeared on her own doorstep, and the love goddess patiently knocked. The two stood there for a while, and Selena was practically bouncing on the spot. After nearly a full minute, the door opened, and Percy greeted them. "Hey, you guys made it! Have trouble finding the place?" He joked, and Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Come on, she wants cake." She said, moving inside past him. Selena encouraged her statement, gleefully exclaiming "Cake!"

Percy directed them down the hall towards the living room, getting the two to turn off to the left once they reached a certain doorway. Selena was in the middle of them, practically skipping as she followed her father to the birthday party she knew was coming.

Selena had always loved parties, even when they weren't for her. For example, one time Percy and the seven were having drinks in his backyard and catching up, as it was not long after Jasper was born and Piper was finally recovering from the birth. Selena had heard the music and laughter and decided she wanted in, so she somehow broke into her father's liquor cabinet and drank half a bottle of vodka, before rushing out to show her father that she was just like him.

Of course, Percy was _not _happy to see his three year old daughter up far past her bedtime, giggling madly and clutching a half-empty bottle of alcohol.

Selena thankfully learned not to touch the locked cabinet full of bottles after her father greatly emphasised his disappointment in her for touching something she knew was off limits, but that didn't dissuade her from loving parties altogether.

So as the three walked into the room, Percy half expected his little girl to run around the room, playing all the games, opening all the presents and eating the entire cake in a matter of three seconds before returning to him wanting more.

When Selena was revealed to the room, a loud chorus rang out. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SELENA!" The crowd shouted. It was relatively small, but still big for the room. About forty people total, mainly comprised of the hunters, but also featuring the seven and some gods who were friends of the Jackson family.

The look on Selena's face was one of pure joy, and she looked to her father for guidance on what to do. Percy put a hand on her shoulder and gestured to the whole room. "Go have fun, princess. I'll call you when it's time for cake and stuff. Happy birthday, baby girl." He said.

Selena ran off to play with the girls in the hunt who were her age, and Percy walked over to Artemis. Aphrodite came with him, and spoke first to Artemis. "You did great on this party, Arty. Heh, that rhymed." She said, sort of losing concentration halfway through. Artemis smiled, not expecting such a compliment from the very goddess she had been rivaling with for millennia. "Thank you, Aphrodite. But to be fair, Percy did most of the organizing, I just provided the girlpower." She said, gesturing to the twenty or so hunters spread across the room.

Aphrodite smiled at the clan of girls she had detested since Ancient Greece, admiring them for how involved they were in her daughter's life. She knew Selena thought of the hunters as sisters, just as she thought of Artemis as her mother. That thought still pained her. She should be the one Selena thought of as her true mother, but now that position was split in half.

She knew she had no one to blame but herself. Aphrodite was never meant to be a mother. She was born a full-grown woman, she knew nothing of children nor how to raise them. Half her godly children came out adults, save for the exceptions like the twins Phobos and Deimos who were _severely_ neglected as infants. Emotionally, of course. She remembered to feed them.

But when she became pregnant with Selena, Aphrodite knew whose it was. As she had told him many times, that night with Percy had left her satisfied for weeks, so her list of potential fathers was extremely short.

The thought of having a real child, not some strange godly love essence that morphed into a person or some risky child of Ares, it scared Aphrodite. She knew she loved Percy, she'd known for a long time, but the thought of having a child when he might not even like her scared the love goddess. She wanted a perfect love story, where they danced in the rain and kissed and then made love and got married and conceived on their honeymoon. When Percy got drunk and she decided to take the dive, that plan went out the window, and their love story was imperfect.

So she bailed. She stuck out the pregnancy doing her best to keep it hidden, and she gave up her daughter, the first daughter of hers she truly loved. It was hard for her to truly love her children, perhaps the only other being Eros. Even then, after the Renaissance happened and men like Eros started becoming gentlemen only to get in girls' pants, her care for the handsome god had waned significantly.

The early hours of the morning when she left her daughter on Percy's doorstep were the most regrettable of her life, and she would _never_ forgive herself for it. She was just glad that Percy seemed to have done so.

She was still unsure about Artemis. She knew the goddess hated how she had abandoned her child, but she also saw a hint of curiosity in the virgin goddess' eyes every time she looked at her.

"Mommy!" She heard a familiar little girl say as the sleeve of her shirt was tugged on. She looked down to her right and saw her little girl as well as three of the smaller hunters, all armed with pins and blindfolds. "Donkey!" She giggled, holding out the tail with the pin on it to her. Aphrodite smiled and accepted the offering, being dragged over to play party games with them.

Percy smiled at the sight as he leaned on the doorway. He was glad to see Aphrodite and Selena spending time together, Hades knows they needed it.

"Sick party, Perce!" Apollo called, strutting up and clapping his cousin on the shoulder. "Of course it's no Dionysus extravaganza, but then again it _is_ for a 4 year old so I guess I'll excuse you." He said.

Percy smiled and stopped leaning against the frame. He quickly grabbed a cup of something from the table, which he quickly learned was Dr Pepper. He had always hated Dr Pepper.

The god cringed as he swallowed the foul liquid, before putting the red plastic cup back down. "Thanks man, but your sister and her girls did most of the work." He admitted selflessly.

Apollo smiled softly and his eyes flickered down to his cup in thought. "Hey, uh, I'm sorry about last month, when I freaked at you two, or rather Perses and Diana, for being lovers. But, the more I've thought about it over the past few weeks, I've kinda realised that we're immortal, nothing's gonna last forever, not even my lil' sister's innocence. I'm just… I'm just glad it was you." He confessed.

Percy had to hold himself back from saying 'that's what she said' to the elder god, and he thankfully held his tongue. "Thanks, dude. I, uh, I really appreciate that, what with you being her twin and all." He smiled sheepishly.

Apollo nodded gratefully, and held out a hand. He was likely hoping for a handshake, but to show that he was more than an acquaintance to him, Percy grabbed the god's wrist as a sign of brotherhood. The god smiled and grabbed his back, and the two separated.

Percy checked his watch, it had been long enough. Many, especially the gods, were likely only here for the main events, so it would be best to have all the games after the cake and presents. He walked over to Artemis, who turned around when she saw her fiance. "So what did you get her?" She asked, and Percy stopped to try and remember.

"Her own personal dagger, celestial bronze, imperial gold, and normal steel all fused together. Basically stygian iron without the side effect of dying if you're not a child of death. It'll be her first ever personal dagger, since I only started letting her use one a year ago." He said, arms folded. "You?"

Artemis smirked. "I got her a bow, enchanted so it can shrink down to her size so that she can use it whatever her age. Also, it has the effect of playing Caramelldansen whenever you press a certain button just to make it attractive to a four year old girl." She forewarned him, making Percy cringe. "That song gives me seizures just by hearing it." He said.

Percy then looked back down at his watch and then checked to see if Selena was nearby. When he saw her over by the games, he whispered something in Artemis' ear. The goddess smiled and nodded, before scurrying off to a different room.

Percy approached Selena, who was blindfolded and being steered by her mother so that she didn't accidentally pin her grandfather Zeus in the thigh. He waited for Selena to have her turn and pin it on the wall, which ended up actually pretty close to the ass's ass. He knelt down and whispered into her ear, exciting the young girl. "Cake!" She clapped.

He led her over to the dining table, catching the attention of many who immediately knew what was happening. Poseidon shut off the lights as Percy and Aphrodite sat on either side of Selena. The young girl sat patiently at the table with her legs swinging absentmindedly as she waited for her fourth birthday cake.

After around 30 seconds, the kitchen door swung open, revealing Artemis holding the birthday cake. Four candles were lit, puny little flames in the greater darkness.

"Happy birthday to you," She began, setting everyone on track. The whole room started singing to her. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Selena, happy birthday to you." The room chorused.

Selena grinned madly as her mom set the cake down in front of her. Artemis kissed her temple and sat down next to Percy. Subtly, the two linked hands under the table, and Percy scooted closer to Selena. "Go ahead, princess. Make a wish." He whispered. Selena looked up at him, then back at the cake. The sight was funny to Percy, because she was only tall enough so that her collar came up past the table. She looked tiny in the main seat.

Selena stared at the blue cake, baked to perfection by her mortal grandma, Sally. It had a flat silver top, with pink icing going around the circumference of each layer. On the top in cursive blue icing were the words _Happy Birthday Selena_, with the four candles forming a semicircle with no base around those words.

She smiled and closed her eyes, trying to think of a wish. In light of recent events, she found one. _I wish mama and daddy end up happy, and they love each other, and daddy and mommy get along._ With her selfless wish made, Selena opened her sea-green eyes and looked at the candles, glowing like second suns.

She inhaled deep, almost over-exaggeratedly, and blew on the candles, snuffing each flame and encasing the room in darkness.

**So I finally completed it, the chapter that is. I know, it's been like three weeks since I updated this story, and two weeks since I updated in general. Thank you guys for sticking with me. Shoutout to TidalMoon2003. You guys should go check him out. **

**The issue has been resolved, but I wanna bring your attention to it anyway. On Wattpad there is a story called Percy Jackson: God of Time by Percabethlover234. This story has about 12k reads by now, and there's a good chance you'll have read it. This story is not theirs, it is stolen word for word from TidalMoon's story Percy Jackson and the Childhood Familiarity. **

**The og author got them to give credit 'they didn't at first', so now the issue is resolved, but I'm still angry bc the author replied to one of my comments saying that they **_**did**_ **give credit, 'lol'. Not only that, but they promised fans of their story a sequel, which the original author had already written like a year ago, acting like they owned the story. Obviously they think I'm dumb enough to not notice that the A/N they posted was only posted like a week ago. So, TidalMoon has it all solved, but I don't forgive and forget so easily. So, if you see that story, please divert your attention to the original author's version. Call this boycotting I guess, don't care, plagiarists deserve it.**

**Word Count: 3740**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Mommy and Mama

**Got some more Aphrodite and Artemis bonding for ya. I figured that I'd do these two as they need bonding far more than Percy and Aphrodite, since it's already been established that they have feelings for each other. Percodite will come later, and Pertemis will just be all over this damn story, as it should be. Also some wholesome family time.**

Chapter 12: Mommy and Mama

" G…" The goddess of wisdom recited in a relatively melodious tone so as to help the young girl sitting in front of her. Selena stared at the board in Athena's hands with all the letters of the alphabet, and tried her best to memorize which sounds went with the letters she pointed to.

"A B C D… E… G…" She struggled, being unable to remember them all as she went along in the song. Athena shook her head. "F, Selena, F. It comes after E. G." She corrected her.

Selena furrowed her eyebrows a bit, going over the song in her head multiple times. When she thought she'd gotten it, she nodded at her aunt, who gestured for her to go again. " E… _F_… G." She stressed, somehow sounding like she struggled to pronounce the sixth letter.

Athena smiled at her success and clapped her hands. "That was good, Selena. You've done well today. Now," The goddess said, checking the time on the clock. Selena smiled at the praise. "Your mothers are picking you up early today. I believe they want to take you out for some family time or something of the sort." She told the girl.

Selena stood up, still only coming to the neck-height of Athena, who sat on a wooden chair. "Thank you, aunty!" She said politely, hands innocently behind her back. The goddess smiled and waved her off. "Have a good day, Selena." She bid her goodbyes, and Selena left their little 'education corner' in Athena's personal library.

She passed the many looming heights of bookshelves, containing practically every text known to mankind. Not even Athena herself had read everything in this collection, and being that she barely knew the first line of the alphabet, Selena didn't much feel up to attempting it either.

She left the library and found her way downstairs, where she put her boots on and sat by the front door with her arms wrapped around her legs. She stared patiently at the stained glass on the door while she waited for her moms, wondering what they were gonna do that day.

Finally, the stained glass became slightly darkened, and there was a loud knocking from the other side of the door. Ready at a moment's notice, Selena shot up and yanked open the door to be met by her two mothers.

Artemis smiled as the little girl leapt forward and wrapped her arms around her waist in a hug. "Hey, monkey. How was school?" She asked, and Selena moved on to hug Aphrodite, who hugged back tightly. "It was good, Aunty taught me how to, uh, count letters!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

" E... _EMF… _G." She recited, proud of her work. Artemis and Aphrodite looked at each other and tried to stifle their laughs, and Aphrodite brushed her daughter's hair as a form of praise. "That's real good, sweetie. We're gonna go out for lunch, where do you wanna go?" She asked.

The little girl thought for a moment, but it ultimately didn't take much for Selena to know where. "The waffle place where daddy takes me sometimes, with the funny chairs." She told her mom eagerly.

Aphrodite looked up at Artemis. "I know where that is. It's a diner in Phoenix. Let's go." She said, holding out her left hand. Artemis took it gently, while Selena wrapped her hand around Aphrodite's other fingers, and the three girls flashed out to 'the waffle place'.

The second they landed, Artemis felt like Thanatos had slapped her across the face, and it was hard not to fall to her knees. "Holy _shit, _it is hot." She said, frantically pulling off her hoodie and tying it around her waist, leaving her in a black tank top and skinny jeans.

"_Mama._" Selena frowned at the vulgarity, and Artemis smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, honey. Let's go inside and hope they have air conditioning." She said, taking Selena's hand and rushing inside the diner.

Aphrodite trailed along behind as Selena was practically dragged up the steps and through the door, where Artemis immediately sighed in relief. "That feels _so_ good." She almost moaned, making the goddess of love giggle. "That's what she said." She whispered as she walked past them towards an empty booth.

Artemis glared as the two followed her to their seats, which were 'funny' like Selena described them. They were red and plastic, but were designed to look cushiony. "That's a joke worthy of Hermes, class clown of Olympus." She mocked, and Aphrodite giggled again. "I know."

When they sat down, Selena immediately started playing with the salt and pepper shakers, leaving Artemis and Aphrodite to talk. "So how have you been, Arty?" The love goddess said, resting her chin on one hand and fluttering her eyebrows.

Artemis in turn raised an eyebrow. "I've been good. We haven't lost any hunters since the war, me and Percy are getting closer, this little one is a godling now so I can't lose her. Things couldn't be better." She said satisfactorily, patting Selena on the head who looked up at her giggling.

Aphrodite hummed as she played with her wedding ring, the one made by Hephaestus with no love or care in it. "And how are you and Percy?

_Romantically_, I mean." She questioned, making Artemis blush.

"Uh, we're doing good. He wants to take me out for dinner tonight, as a… date." She said, struggling to get the word out. It would be her third real date with Percy, and the first two had been absolutely wonderful. A nice dinner at some New York restaurant and a fun day out playing mini-golf. She didn't know what he wanted to do that night.

"And have you…" Aphrodite bit her lip. "You know." She left it there, and Artemis immediately caught her drift. "Oh, oh no, _no _we have not. I still want to at least wait until the wedding night before _that_." She said.

Aphrodite looked around the diner and smirked at her, leaning forward. "You know, if you want me to help you practice, or to teach you to be ready for your first time, I'm always available." She suggested, and Artemis sputtered.

It was no secret Aphrodite was beautiful, and no secret that Artemis swung both ways, if any ways. But still, the idea of sleeping with the closest thing to her immortal enemy, her polar opposite, was terrifying, like it went against her morals.

The goddess cleared her throat. "Can we change the subject?" She asked, and Aphrodite shrugged.

Thankfully, the waitress came over to take their orders. She looked like a stereotypical diner waitress. 50 year old with too much makeup, blonde hair, pink shirt with an apron, notepad pencil in hand. "What do you want?" She asked rather rudely and impatiently.

Artemis' eyes widened and she quickly looked for the menu. The other two knew what they wanted, having been there before. "Yes, please. I'll have the vegetarian burger with extra cheese and a strawberry milkshake." She told her. The waitress wrote that down and turned to Selena.

"And what do you want, Doll?" She asked with a southern drawl. Selena looked up from her shakers and grinned. "Waffles! With _bacon!_" She exclaimed with severe enthusiasm, before remembering her manners. "Please."

The waitress nodded and turned to Artemis, who was still skimming the menu. "Uhhhh, nachos, thanks. And we'll both have strawberry shakes too." She said, pointing a thumb at herself and Selena. The waitress nodded and left to go place their orders in the kitchen.

"I needa pee." Selena declared, jumping up from her seat and bounding off for the ladies' room. "Have fun." Artemis called as the girl ran off.

Aphrodite looked past her. "She's hyper today." She said, and Artemis nodded. "Percy gave her an extra cookie this morning. I guess it hasn't worn off." She smiled.

Aphrodite leaned forward. "So, you and Percy on a date, huh?" She smirked, making the younger goddess blush. "Yeah, it's our third one. I don't know where he wants to take me, though. Hopefully it's somewhere nice though." She said, and Aphrodite hummed.

"_Artemis_, I didn't know you were one for high-class living?" She gaped with a smile, and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Uh, never said I was. Just don't want him to take me behind Wendy's to eat with the raccoons." She clarified, and Aphrodite's face fell.

"Well, uh, how've you been?" Artemis asked, and Aphrodite perked up a bit."Well…" She began, and Artemis sat up to prepare herself for the goddess' infinite chatter. It'd be a good way to pass the time while their food was prepared.

It was nearly five minutes before Selena returned to them, and she cradled something in both hands. "Look! Mama, mommy! Look what I did!" She said, showing them. Artemis looked at her and her eyes widened, before her head snapped down to look at Selena's hands.

Just a few minutes before, Selena had been finishing up her business in the bathroom. When she was done, she flushed and left the stall, walking over to the sink.

As the tap ran, the little girl put the plug in, needing a nice little pool to properly wash herself up. The water was warm, and so a little bit of steam rose up from the sink and fogged up the mirror.

Selena saw this, and quickly drew a smiley face in the glass as she often did when the windows at home condensed on cold days. Upon realising how much fun she could have with this, she giggled and leaned over to the sink to draw some more.

While she did this, the sink continued running, and not long afterwards the basin began to fill to the brim. Selena was too focused on drawing a Brontosaurus to notice there was water trickling down, so when she leaned forward even more to get a higher reach, her foot slipped.

The little girl yelped as she tumbled forward, seeing a big flash of metal before a large bout of pain ran over her. It took her thirty seconds to lift her head off the ground, but when she did, she saw the puddle she was sitting in was red and there was a small object sitting in it.

The girl clutched at the white enamel-covered object enthusiastically and got on her knees. With blood dripping from her mouth, she stared down at the front tooth in her hands. "Coooool." She whispered in awe

"Hades, Selena! Are you okay?" Artemis gasped. She grabbed a napkin from the table and yanked the girl over to her, scrunching the napkin up and shoving it in the hole where her tooth had once been.

Aphrodite slid over on the seat closer to her daughter. "Oh come here, what've you got?" She asked sympathetically. The four year old proudly showed her her work, and Aphrodite covered her mouth.

"Her first baby tooth!" She gasped, picking up the tiny object and examining it. "Hold it there." Artemis told the girl, and she nodded, grabbing the tissue and jamming it into the gum. Selena ran to Aphrodite and was immediately engulfed in a hug.

"Oh, I'm so _proud_ of you!" Aphrodite squeaked, kissing her forehead. Artemis smiled at the interaction. "How did you do that, anyway?" She inquired, and the little girl giggled. "It just fell out!" She told her mama.

The waitress came over with their food, and Selena wasted no time in digging into her waffles. Artemis told her to wait a while since she was _bleeding_, but Selena would have none of that. The two goddesses silently ate their food while the four year old scoffed down her brunch noisily.

She finished before the two of them and burped, making Aphrodite giggle. Artemis couldn't help but crack a smile as she wiped the girl's face with a napkin. Selena couldn't contain her manic laughter as her adoptive mother assaulted the mess on her face. "Gods, if your father could see you now." She said with fake disappointment.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You know as well as I do that Percy is even worse than her when it comes to that blue food his mother hooked him on." She told her peer. Artemis couldn't find a comeback for that, and so continued to crunch on her nachos.

Selena's attention was caught now. "Blue!?" She yelped excitedly, and Aphrodite chuckled. "Maybe later, sweetie. I don't think this place has blue waffles." She told her.

Selena blinked once. Twice. "That's _dumb_." She said, going back to sipping her strawberry shake.

Artemis suddenly grew a smirk on her surprisingly clean face. "You know, you can make money with that." She said, and Selena's neck snapped around to look at her. "_What?_"

Aphrodite nearly choked on her shake. "That's right! You take that tooth home, put it under your blanket and the tooth fairy will come and take it away in the night. In return, she'll give you a little bit of money." She taught her daughter.

Selena looked down at the small tooth in wonder. "Woooah. How much?" She asked, and Artemis was about to answer with something reasonable like a drachma or a dollar, but Aphrodite piped in. "_Truckloads_." The love goddess told her.

Both Artemis and Selena's eyes widened. "Like… a _hundred?!_" She asked, as that was the biggest number she knew. Artemis gestured to Aphrodite to cut it out, but she didn't listen. "Yep. A hundred bucks will be under your pillow tomorrow morning." She told her.

Artemis sighed, knowing the damage was done. "It _is_ only a first time bonus. _Usually _you get _one_, or _two_ dollars. But the tooth fairy is very generous for your first time." She said, forcing herself to play along with the lie.

Selena cradled the tooth in her hands as the goddesses finished up, and from there they wondered what to do next.

"You know what, let's just go for a walk." Aphrodite suggested after Artemis turned down her ideas. To be fair though, all her ideas were just shopping but at different places.

Artemis sighed, remembering how hot it was outside, but she felt like if she argued then she would come off as picky and fussy. "Sure. Where to?" She asked.

Aphrodite shrugged. "I don't know. We'll just walk. Let's go!" She said, standing up. Selena stood and followed her, leaving Artemis with no choice but to go with them.

The streets were hot at eleven in the morning, and the three girls walked down a smoking hot sidewalk looking at all the buildings and for something to do.

Selena enjoyed skipping along with both her hands grasped onto theirs, somehow not affected by the hundred degree heat. The three turned down a specific street and were met by various crowds.

It seemed to be street performers, and people were standing around watching them. Selena was particularly entranced by some guy juggling flaming bowling pins, but she also stopped to enjoy some of the musicians.

"Is the carnival in Phoenix today?" Artemis asked, and the equally confused Aphrodite shook her head. "I have no idea." She told her.

While Selena was watching the fire man, she looked up to Artemis pleadingly. Having absolutely no idea what that look was supposed to mean, Artemis took a guess and summoned a coin. Selena's face brightened at the sight and she took it, thanking Artemis.

For a second, Artemis thought Selena had gotten the wrong message and was going to pocket it. Thankfully, the little girl knew what to do and chucked it into the guy's hat that sat on the ground.

As the family stood there enjoying the show, a man ran through the crowd and swept down beside the fire guy. The crowd gasped as he snatched the hat and sped off. The three girls themselves were utterly astonished.

"Mama! She stole his money!" Selena cried, pointing in the man's direction. Artemis' head snapped back and forth between her and the man. After a few seconds, she sighed and took the hoodie off of her waist, handing it to Aphrodite. "Hold this." She said, before sprinting off in the thief's direction.

Now, with essentially being the goddess of agility and all, Artemis was fast. Stupid fast. Within seconds she was dead on his trail, and the guy got the fright of his life as he turned his head to look.

He started looking for ways to slow her down, and settled on shoving a woman into the path. Artemis' eyes widened as the obstacle appeared in front of her, and couldn't do anything to stop herself from colliding with the woman.

The two fell over, and Artemis tried to stop her head from spinning, before she realised the thief was getting away. "Shit! Sorry!" She said to the woman, getting back on her feet.

Cars honked as Artemis ran through the street, trying to catch up with the man. He made a sharp turn down an alleyway and Artemis followed him. When she arrived, she found herself standing in front of a dead-end, and a man who had also just realised this.

He turned around and cursed, putting the hat down. "Alright, sweetpea. Come get it." He challenged, bringing his fists up in a fighting stance.

Artemis rolled her eyes and decided to just end it quickly. She stepped forward, and the mortal got ready to take a swing. With one swift motion, she Spartan-kicked the guy in the face, sending him sprawling backwards.

She was hailed as a hero when she returned to the crowd, and had to deal with rounds of applause and thank you's from practically everyone.

She walked over to Selena and opened her hand. Artemis dropped two teeth in her palm, confusing the girl. "More money." She whispered, making Selena smile. The little girl wrapped her arms around her neck tightly, inciting a loud 'aw' from everyone around.

Selena leaned her head over to Artemis' ear and whispered. "You're my hero, mama."

"And that's why you now owe Selena $300 by dawn." Artemis finished her story, looking pleasantly at him as they ate their fancy dinner. Percy spat out his wine all over a passing waiter in shock.

**So now that's done. Originally I was gonna update Dark Lord first, but I was on a roll with writing this chapter. Next chapter's gonna be another Pertemis one, so hold your horses, children. Now, my tummy hurts, and my sister keeps telling me to go to my own room, so Au Revoir.**

**Here's a question, what religion are yall? Or at least philosophy?**

**Word count: 3198**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Date Night

**So I guess I'm a senior now, even though I haven't been at school for months. Thankfully I'm on break now, so I'll hopefully be able to write more, but that won't necessarily mean more updates. I'm writing a twelve chapter Halloween story as a side-project that I wanna get finished in time for October 31st. Considering it took me two months to get 10 chapters through a story I was almost solely focusing on, I don't wanna risk missing the deadline, so I'm starting it now. I'm already 3k words into what's gonna be roughly 36k, so it's going good. The homie Paige_9900 gave me a cruel idea for next chapter, but this one can be good ol fashioned Pertemis.**

Chapter 13: Date Night

Percy was watching Netflix when his family walked in the door, his daughter with her hand holding Artemis' fingers tight. He paused the movie and turned around on the couch, intent on greeting them warmly with a smile and a wave. When he saw them however, his face dropped and he sat up.

Selena grinned at him widely, but he noticed something was off about her smile. There was a large gap in the front of her teeth. He beckoned her over worriedly. "Sweetie, how'd you do that?" He asked with concern, but Selena was anything but concerned. "I fell over!" She told him happily, showing him her palm.

When Percy saw the three teeth in her hand, he pulled her over and opened her mouth wide, checking for anything he might've missed. Aphrodite came over and brought her away, quickly explaining to him. "They're not hers, Artemis got them for her." She told him.

The confused young god looked over to his fiance worriedly, who quickly mouthed to him 'I'll tell you later.'

Percy stood up, noticing the time. "You ready for our little 'date'?" He asked with a smirk, embarrassing the older goddess. She shook her head. "I gotta go have a shower." She said, and he nodded. Percy walked over to Artemis, grabbing her shoulders and pecking her lips lightly. "Wear something nice, I have a feeling the place I'm taking you doesn't allow jeans and silver parkas." He told her with a slight smile.

Aphrodite also looked at the time. "Well, I guess I'm having you tonight, sweetie." She said, looking down towards her daughter. The little girl looked up at her, before realising Aphrodite was behind her, so she ended up tilting her head back almost a full 90 degree angle and smiling up at her. "Yay!"

Artemis followed her previous declaration by heading upstairs to have a shower in their -or rather, _Percy's_ room. Artemis smiled at the mental slipup. Sure it should've made her cringe and hate herself for saying such a thing, but she knew it was a good sign. She was finally comfortable. She finally saw Percy as something more than a friend she happened to be marrying. He was the man she slept in the same bed as, the man she kissed, the man she knew she could love in no time.

She made sure to lock the door to the bedroom since she planned on coming back out, and entered the bathroom. The goddess did not want to have too long a shower, just do all her necessary cleaning. With the water running hot, she stripped down to her bare skin and stepped inside.

The warm water didn't feel as good as it should have considering she'd been in desert country all day, but it wasn't unbearable either so she went with it. Better than showering in ice-cold water, anyhow.

She cleaned up in no time, and turned the handle back to off. She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself. The goddess of the hunt stared at her reflection, wondering briefly on style choices. She considered makeup, but that thought was instantly suppressed. No restaurant required women to be wearing makeup, and she felt she never looked good with it on unless it was the bare minimum like eyeliner which she wore for Olympian gatherings like balls. A good silver over her eyes could never look bad when paired with her usual silver dress.

Next she moved onto her hair, and that was easy. Artemis really only wore her hair in two styles, unless it was a special occasion. Simply braided over the shoulder or just left alone. Her hair looked fine naturally. Perks of royal godly blood. It was really hard for her to look bad.

Once she was properly dry, she left the bathroom and entered the bedroom, where she tried to figure out what to wear. As she walked over to the temporary drawer with all her clothes in it (she had yet to move her full wardrobe and personal belongings into Percy's home), she soon came across a problem. She had about five pairs of clothes in there, one pair of pyjamas, three different types of jeans and shirts, a blouse and some leggings. Plus some random sweatpants just in case.

Of course, her saving grace arrived in no time, as she heard the doorknob jiggle from behind her. She whirled around, thanking Fate she remembered to lock it, otherwise Percy might've got an accidental sneak peek. As the goddess sighed in relief, she turned around, only to hear a strange noise. The sound of the lock clicking.

The door swung open, and who else would it be besides Aphrodite, holding a hairpin with a triumphant smirk on her face. "Ah, good. You haven't started without me. Now…" She said, stepping closer to the goddess.

Artemis watched as Aphrodite looked through her drawers, before shaking her head. "_Tsk, tsk, tsk._ I know you were never one for fashion, but _really?_ No dresses or anything!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. Artemis' eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, careful not to lose her towel.

Aphrodite shook her head again. "No matter, I've had a dress picked out for you for a while now. Here." She said, snapping her fingers. A dress appeared in Aphrodite's hands, and Artemis' eyes widened. It was silver, like most of her dresses, but this one was more elegant than any she had seen, save for the wedding dress tucked away in her closet at home.

It was strapless and sparkly, and was about mid-thigh length. She took it from Aphrodite and thanked her. Thankfully the goddess helped get her into the dress comfortably, and she looked at herself in the mirror. "Now, do you have any silver eyeliner?" Aphrodite asked, making Artemis' head turn to her.

Artemis was ready maybe half an hour later, once Aphrodite was satisfied with her younger companion's appearance. She left the room and walked downstairs, where Percy waited patiently by the door.

He was dressed simply. A nice grey suit jacket with a white shirt underneath. His tie was blue, and was clearly not done properly, as it hung loosely around his neck.

His mouth suddenly became barren as he looked up at her descending the stairs, and his palms began to sweat slightly. Selena ran up past him, meeting her mom at the bottom of the stairs. "You look pretty, mama." She told her, bringing a smile to Artemis' face. "Thank you, Selena. You too." She complimented, though Selena had not dressed up or anything.

Percy came over to greet her. "You really do look beautiful. I feel like I'm underdressed." He said, looking down at his lazy suit. Artemis smiled and fixed his tie, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "There, now you're not." She told him.

Percy smiled and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we go, milady?" He asked like a gentleman, and she smiled. Artemis took his arm, and he led her towards the door. "Don't wait up!" He called out to his former lover and child, before shutting the door behind him.

The restaurant he took her to was lovely, a place in San Diego. It had a French name Artemis couldn't remember, but thankfully she could read the menu. Britain had once been the home of the Flame of the West, and much of the upper class during that time could fluently speak French and some even German, so she had obviously learned both.

"Uh, Arty, do you know what that is?" He asked, showing her the menu. She took one glance before she figured it out. "Lobster." She said quickly, and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He asked, and she nodded. "Homard, Lobster, I speak French." She told him.

Percy smiled and tilted his head. "Really?" He asked in slight disbelief. She nodded. "Yep, and German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Spanish, basically most of the major European languages, or just any language belonging to a great enemy of Europe like Turkey was at one point. Kinda hard to scout out and spy on enemies when you have no idea what they're saying." She said.

Percy put down the menu. "Prove it, what's yes in Russian?" He asked, and she responded quickly again. "Da." Percy raised an eyebrow. "The what?" He asked.

Artemis put the menu down and glared at him in slight annoyance. "_Da._" She emphasized, and he tilted his head. "_The, what?_ Am I getting irl lag right now?" He asked.

Artemis bit her lip in frustration. "da ty chertovski debil!" She tried her best not to raise her voice, and Percy finally understood. "Ohhhh, you mean дa." He said, making Artemis facepalm.

They ordered and their drinks arrived quickly. Percy took a sip of his wine absently. "So, care to tell me why my daughter's face has been mutilated on your watch?" He asked, and Artemis had to take a moment lest she choke on her wine. "Well it's a funny story…"

By the end of said funny story, Percy had spat out his wine all over a passing waiter with the strength of a fire hydrant. The Frenchman flew back in shock, and Percy apologized profusely. As he desperately tried to defuse the situation, Artemis sipped her drink with a sly smirk.

The waiter eventually left muttering to himself in a different language, and Artemis had to hold in her laughs as she mentally translated what he was saying.

Their food came soon enough, though clearly not for Percy who was grumbling the word 'finally'. The two ate with light conversations about things like Selena and Olympus' current events.

Percy even brought up football, and she played along as though she knew what he was talking about until he asked her what her favorite team was. Being that she was a goddess and had no time for sports, she had to make one up on the spot. "The, uh, Anchorage… Anchors…" she said slowly, trying to discern if it sounded believable.

Percy's eyes were narrowed in confusion. "The Anchorage Anchors?" He asked, and Artemis nodded, biting her bottom lip. Her fiance chuckled lightly to himself, clearly having seen through her deceit, before returning to his meal.

The dinner was delicious. Artemis felt the French had a tendency to be good cooks. Since neither of them really felt like dessert, Percy paid the cheque and they got ready to leave.

They left the restaurant into the cold California night air, Artemis' arm around his. She looked up at her fiance. "So what do we do now?" She asked, and he shrugged. "We could go for a walk?" He suggested.

She liked that idea. "Central Park?" She asked, and Percy chucked her grin. "Of course, it's the best place for night walks with your date." He said, before flashing them both to New York.

The park was quiet at this time of night, just the way Artemis liked it. Thankfully her hunters were not there, the closest thing they could consider a base camp save for Yellowstone. They were instead out somewhere in the Ozarks, and as far as Artemis knew they were doing well.

The two walked for a while, talking comfortably about random topics. They were on the vibrant topic suggested by Percy of whether it was okay morally to eat your own arm if it was amputated after an accident.

"Look, I'm not saying I would. I'm just saying that it's _my _arm, that's my property, and I can do whatever I want with it. They can't not let me have it either, cause that's theft." He explained, but Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but it's a human arm, your arm. Would you really _want_ to eat that?" She asked.

Percy shrugged. "Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've eaten. I'm just saying like how have people not done this already? I've seen a lot of amputees in my life and I'm willing to be none of them ate the part that got cut off, yet it's perfectly legal."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's because not everyone's as keen to eat human flesh as you are, Percy." She told him.

Percy chuckled, before gently leading her off to the side. "Come on, let's sit down." He said, leading her to a dry rock that looked smooth enough to rest their behinds on. He sat her down first, before joining his fiance.

The two sat there in silence for a while, looking around at nature. Percy's attention turned to the rising moon, and he lay down to stare up at it. "It's really beautiful tonight." He noted, and Artemis lay down next to him. "It is."

He turned his head to look at her, hands rested on his stomach. "So are you. The moon's like… illuminating your skin, and it makes your dress and eyeliner sparkle." He complimented her, earning a blush. "Thank you, Percy. You look handsome as well, tonight." She returned the favor.

Percy frowned. "Are you saying I'm usually not?" He asked, and Artemis' eyes widened slightly, thinking she was doing this really horribly. "N-no, it's just…"

Percy laughed it off. "It's okay, Arty. I'm just messing with you. I get it, we're all dressed up and looking our best. I'd be lying if I said you were always this gorgeous. You are gorgeous 24/7, don't get me wrong, it's just the night's radiating you in particular." He once again complimented.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You're a master at flirting." She told him.

She then looked up at the bright white orb in the sky, and got an idea. "You wanna go for a ride?" She asked, garnering his immediate attention. "Huh?" He asked in confusion, though the goddess could tell he had a faint idea of what she was talking about.

She pointed up towards the moon. "My chariot. We could go up there if you want. I'll let you drive." She offered, and her fiance seemed unsure. "I don't know… I might crash. It's been a while since I've driven a car." He told her.

Artemis scoffed. "I'm not like my brother, mine's an _actual_ chariot, not a sports car. You've already been in it, remember? It was after you rescued me from Atlas. Besides, do you know how hard it is to crash that high in the sky? Even if you plummet straight down, there's like thirty or so seconds for me to take the reins and pull up." She assured him.

Percy licked his dry lips in thought, before nodding. "Okay, sure. Let's go." He agreed, getting up. His date got back on her feet and took his hand, flashing the two of them high up into the sky.

When Percy landed, he felt like he was falling backwards, and had to grab tight onto the front of the chariot just to maintain balance. Artemis also grabbed his arm to steady him. "Woah there. We're rising, so it's gonna feel like this till around midnight." She told him.

Percy checked his watch and sighed. "An hour and a half away." He noted, trying to find a good way to stand. He managed to find a comfortable position, leaning forward at a fifty degree angle.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You, uh… You do realise there's seats behind you, yes?" She asked, and Percy's head whirled around. Behind him was what looked to be a really trashy couch, until he realised it was a back row of car seats. Not the baby kind, the normal kind.

He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Oh, right." He said quietly, before sitting himself down. The angle made him feel like he was in a rocket shuttle, blasting off to the moon. But lo and behold, this wasn't a rocket shuttle, it _was_ the moon.

Artemis laughed softly and sat herself down next to him, their bodies closer than the seats justified. She leant forward and grabbed the reins, before handing them to Percy. "There you go."

He looked at the reins in his hand. "So… what do I do? Usually with chariots you use these to steer or speed up, but this thing seems to be on autopilot." He told her. His goddess smirked at the question, before snapping her fingers. "How about now?"

Percy could suddenly feel his stomach lurch and a major bout of turbulence as the chariot zoomed forward, before taking a large dip. He fought the urge to scream as they plummeted towards the ground, before doing the only thing he could think to save them, he yanked on the reins.

Despite the fact he almost broke the necks of each deer, they followed his command and pulled up, steadying out once he relaxed the pull on their ties. The god was breathing heavily, his heart pounding as he narrowed his eyes at the goddess. "You could've eased me into it." He told her.

Artemis shrugged, looking up at him. "The heat of the moment is the best way to get good at things." She told him, giving Percy a sly idea. "Oh yeah? So does that mean if I do this that you're gonna be suddenly amazing?" He asked, before attacking her with a kiss.

Artemis' eyes widened exponentially at the assault, panicking for a moment and forgetting what to do. Usually when they kissed, one of them eased the other into it. They never just launched themselves on the other like two teenagers.

She took a few deep breaths through her nose as his mouth molded around hers, before she suddenly remembered how to react in these situations. Since she had nothing in her hands, she used them to grasp his face, pulling him closer as she kissed back. It was perhaps the most heated she had yet been with Percy, and therefore with anyone.

They parted, and Artemis smirked at him. "Was that good enough?" She asked, a thumb stroking his cheek softly. He hadn't shaved in a few days, so there was a light bit of stubble on his face, just the way Artemis liked it.

Percy looked away in fake consideration for a moment. "Hmm… yeah I think you passed." He told her, looking back.

Artemis kissed him softly on the cheek before leaning forward. She had installed a stereo a few years earlier, because she realised that there was an alternative to reading flapping books in the windy sky. The goddess turned the dial for a bit, finally coming across a station she liked. Yeah it was really crackly this high in the sky, but she could still make out the song.

Percy rolled his eyes, before pulling out his phone. "Here, take the reins." He said, and his fiance did so. He scrolled through his phone for a few seconds before fiddling with the stereo. Eventually there was a loud _BOO BOO BEEP_, startling Artemis. Percy held up his phone. "Bluetooth." He told her quickly, before pressing play.

The goddess sighed as she could now hear the music clearly, letting Percy take the reins. Don't You Forget About Me, by… whomever. She didn't follow the music industry.

As the music played, she rested her head on Percy's shoulder. The god in question gave her a side-glance and a smile, before focusing back on staying on the correct path.

They sat like that for almost an hour and a half, before Artemis checked the time. "Ooh, we're almost there." She told him, sitting up. Percy raised an eyebrow and was suddenly at attention. "Almost where?" He asked as Artemis stood up, the angling now considerably better.

She pulled Percy to his feet and took the reins. She snapped her fingers and the chariot was once again on autopilot, and thus the gods stood there patiently.

Percy looked out at all sides, wondering what he was supposed to be looking for. Artemis checked the time again. "5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"

He felt it, they had reached the top. It was midnight. All the wind ceased, his stomach fell back to normality, and it was suddenly like gravity no longer existed, like he could just float away. He sighed in surprise and relief, looking around below them.

The world looked so beautiful from up there, with cities lit up and just the faintest bit of coloring from the moonlight. He had no idea where they were, geography was never his strong point, but if he had to guess it was likely somewhere in the central US, cause they had definitely not yet gone around to Asia and Europe.

"Wow…." He whispered in awe, looking all around. Artemis smiled up at him. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, and he turned his head to look at her. When he did so, his jaw dropped.

The moon goddess was in her prime. The peak of the moon had her skin illuminating like you would imagine a goddess, he dress clung to her body and showed off her to-die-for figure, and Artemis' auburn hair hung loosely over her shoulder, giving the goddess an innocent look.

"You are…" He said quietly, not realising his misspeaking. Artemis' face lit up, and she grew a small flustered smile as she looked down at their feet. Percy walked over, and she looked up.

He could not find the words for a few seconds, he was too taken aback by this beauty in front of him. He felt like he had to say something nice, though in his opinion there were no words to describe her. Godly just wasn't enough.

He took her hands softly, and they stood there face to face. "You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." He complimented, still in awe. Artemis blushed again and averted her gaze. "You don't mean that." She said humbly.

Percy shook his head. "I do. Aphrodite may be _beautiful_ in that sense, but her mere looks don't do to me what the sight of you does. I… gods, I wish our wedding was tomorrow or something, I just want so desperately to kiss you." He said, trying not to sound like such a Romeo.

Artemis looked up at him shyly, but with a hint of confidence on her face. "Then do it." She told him, giving him permission to act upon his wish. Percy froze for a moment, wondering if he was worthy to kiss her. He felt like a demigod again, and she seemed like a true god, a primordial. It seemed like it should be forbidden for him to have such an enchanting creature.

To Artemis' relief, he took the dive. The god leaned forward and locked his lips onto hers, feeling for a moment like he really was getting married. The goddess smiled and kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

**Sorry this took 11 days to write. Yes, Paige_9900, I'm looking at you. Sorry not sorry BearWarrior3000 for stealing the moon chariot idea from your recent story. Consider it payment for America totally saving Britain from the Nazis 76 years ago. I have an idea for the next chapter, but I also have to work on something else and update Dark Lord again, so don't expect that for roughly the same amount of time as this took.**

**Also, I forgot to say this seven months ago, but I wrote this story five days after my baby sister was born, so it's sort of dedicated to her in a way. That's why I made it so Percy has a daughter, because my family had just welcomed our own baby girl into the world.**

**Word Count: 4000**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Just Another Day in the Jackson Household

**So this entire chapter is really just filler. I got the idea for this from BearWarrior3000, so congrats.**

Chapter 14: Just Another Day in the Jackson Household

Selena cringed as Artemis knelt down next to the pile of shit on the forest ground. She noticed the flies swarming around the turds and frowned. "It's a bit old, but he's not too far off, otherwise it'd be crusty." She educated the young girl.

Selena was standing behind her, holding her personal bow that Artemis had gotten her for her birthday. Artemis stood up and turned around, hands on hips. "Alright, you wanna try to follow the trail?" She asked, and the little girl stared up at her in curiosity.

"Mama, are you and daddy sleeping together?" She asked innocently.

Artemis' face fell, and she sputtered in shock. "I, uh, um- do you even know what that means?" She asked, and Selena shook her head. "Is it like sleeping in daddy's bed? I sleep with daddy all the time!" She said eagerly.

Artemis quickly covered her stepdaughter's mouth so as to stop the both of them traumatizing each other any further. "Okay, well yes, I am sleeping in dad's bed, but I am not _sleeping with him_, that's something else, okay?" She told her.

Selena looked confused. "What is it?" She asked, and Artemis shook her head vigorously. "Uh, no, I'm not gonna tell you that. You'll find out when you're older. Who told you that, anyway?"

Selena walked forward, staring down at the poop and then looking for some sort of trail. "Mommy was upset. She was saying you guys should sleep together, and I didn't get it cause I thought you already were cause when I go into your room when I wake up you and dad are both sleeping together." She told her.

Artemis sighed, knowing that was yet another thing she'd have to speak to the goddess of love about. That list was growing bigger by the day.

Selena seemed to have found something and was trudging along staring at the ground in front of her. Artemis followed to make sure she didn't get jumped by a bear or something. They weren't exactly commonplace this far down south but you never know.

The mud squelched beneath their feet as the two followed their prey, which was likely a feral hog judging from the hoofprints. Artemis made sure to keep an eye on the treeline in case any monsters decided two lonely goddesses would be a good challenge.

They walked for perhaps twenty minutes, light on their feet so as to not scare anything off in the distance. Artemis had tried her best to teach Selena how to walk without crunching every leaf she came across, but it was hard to drill that into a four year old's head. Hades, she really shouldn't even be out here, but with the goddess of the hunt for a stepmother, you can't not hunt with her.

Artemis grew nervous as Selena occasionally lost a bit of balance and made a bit of noise regaining her balance in the soggy dirt. It wasn't enough to warrant anyone's suspicion but she knew wild pigs, and the fuckers were annoying.

There were countless times where she'd be hunting with one of her younger hunters in a situation not unlike this and it went wrong. They could be a hundred metres out from the animal but you could step on the smallest twig and suddenly REEEEEE and the damn things were long gone. Needless to say it was _very _annoying how much of a little bitch a pig could be. At least deer just snapped their heads up and looked around when they heard something. Pigs didn't give it a chance.

They came upon the edge of the bush and Artemis grabbed Selena to stop her from wandering out and scaring off their prey. Sure enough, when the two looked out from the bushes they saw three hogs, which was more than Artemis was expecting but whatever. Something worried Artemis even more.

The pigs were standing on a small isle out in the swamp, and in the murky waters around it Artemis could see two or three still scaly heads peeking out. Likely alligators, since they were not in Florida, and she knew two things about alligators. First was that they were ferocious once you angered them, usually by swimming in their water, getting in their personal space or encroaching upon their nests. Second was that they liked their own kind, and if you could see a few of them floating in the water, there were likely a dozen more submerged or hiding on land. Whatever god made alligators was cruel to have them blend in with the water and dirt they inhabited.

Her hold on Selena tightened, scared that the little girl would go charging out and get gobbled up immediately. Percy would not like that.

Selena hadn't seemed to have seen the gators yet, and Artemis decided it wasn't worth risking her daughter's life just to get a few days worth of some free bacon. "Come on, let's go." She said, and Selena looked up at her in confusion.

"Why? Don't I shoot it?" She asked, holding up her stylish bow. Artemis sighed, realising she was gonna have to explain to the small girl why they could not go into the infested bayou.

She pointed out at the water, her arm barely sticking out of the bush. "You see that little lump in the water?" She asked, and Selena looked over. It took her a while to see the shit-colored animal head in the likely shit-filled water, but when she did she nodded. "That right there is an alligator, there's heaps of em. But if you go near it, you'll get eaten. So don't do that." She warned her.

Selena looked back at the floating lizard and just stared for a few seconds. After a while, she looked back at her mama and squinted her eyes in confusion. "What's a Nalligayda?" She asked.

Artemis face palmed, then checked behind them to make sure there was nothing there. "Um, it's a dinosaur. A little one, but it'll still eat you. Now come on, let's go. You wanna try find something else or call it a day?" She asked, crouch-walking away with her arm still on Selena's shoulder.

The little girl didn't budge, for she was looking at something. "What's that?" She asked, pointing and turning her head to Artemis. The goddess looked, expecting it to just be an alligator or something, but instead saw something _far _more horrifying.

The water was rippling, as if something was moving towards the isle where the pigs stood, but there was only one problem. The ripples were far too big for it to just be an alligator, it had to be at least three fully grown ones wide.

Suddenly it shot out of the water, and both girls looked on in shock, and in Selena's case horror, as a monster dove out of the bayou and onto land, scaring the pigs. Two of them squealed and made a run for it, but the third was unfortunately snatched up. What horrified Artemis even more was that it didn't do the infamous death roll like other Crocodilia.

It latched it's jaws onto the thing's leg and dragged it over, proceeding to swallow the thing in only a few bites.

Artemis gulped, feeling the sudden urge to get Selena out of there. "_That _is a dinosaur. Now come on, get over here." She urged, leaning over to grab Selena. When she did so she stepped on a twig, which was perhaps the worst things that could go wrong in that moment.

The beast heard that, and its head snapped towards the bush. It did not give time to think, choosing instead to barge into the water and swim over to them. Artemis cursed and ran to Selena, but the monster was fast, and it beached itself in between them just before she could reach her.

The goddess was thrown back by the thing landing, as its extraordinary weight came crashing down on her and pushed her to the side. Selena squealed, and the monster turned ro view her.

Artemis cursed as her daughter was now in danger, and withdrew her silver dagger. She became like a mother bear protecting her cub, and she felt an overwhelming need to destroy this creature and get Selena to safety.

The creature was vicious, and snapped at her swiftly. It nipped at her silver hoodie, and Artemis grunted when it pulled her to the ground. She crawled backwards as fast as she could before it could catch her, and upon regaining her footing she shrugged the hoodie off. It would only be a hindrance anyway.

A deep and guttural growl came from the herptile, and Artemis looked past it to Selena. "Go! Hide! I'll come find you. And be careful!" She urged the girl, who nodded.

As her stepdaughter ran off, Artemis got into a defensive stance with her blade. The beast was easily more than 30 feet long, and she knew if the thing charged her there was no way she'd be able to block it, but she had to at least try and look scary.

Sure enough, the thing ran at her, scuttling along as fast as an ATV on four little legs. Artemis dodged it, going for a strike along its side. She knew it wouldn't do much, as it had _scales_, and scales were fucking tough.

Unfortunately her dreams were realised, as the blade just scratched along like its hide was made of steel.

Artemis looked up at the green creature and grappled onto its neck. The thing thrashed around and the goddess pulled herself on top, straddling the gator like she was in a rodeo. It sure felt like it to her, as the thing began bucking wildly, trying to throw her off.

It was hard, but Artemis managed to retain her position atop it. She didn't have much to hold onto, as the hide was wet and slippery and yet she dared not put her hands in its mouth for obvious reasons.

She was suddenly caught off guard as the thing did a quick 180 degree turn, throwing her away. She cursed as she hit the dirt, sweaty from the fight. Thank gods she wasn't wearing the hoodie anymore, her tank top alone was getting soaked.

Her thoughts were cut off as the beast charged, and she felt around desperately for her knife. The goddess found what she wanted, but not where she wanted. Instead it was behind the gator now trucking on towards her.

The moon goddess' eyes widened and she prepared to be torn in half. Sure she would reform but that didn't mean it wasn't gonna be painful.

The beast roared in pain as it was struck in the eye by something, and Artemis noticed the familiar end of an arrow sticking out. She looked around, expecting her hunters, but instead her jaw dropped. Selena stood on the small rise of grass near the end of the bayou, bow raised and aimed at the crocodilia. She lowered the weapon, and Artemis seized the moment.

She dashed towards her blade and snatched it up, before tackling the beast as best she could. It roared as blood trickled from its eye while the goddess that wanted it dead climbed around like a koala. She found a good spot on the back of its neck like before, and of course the bull thrashed around wildly once more.

Artemis was prepared though, and she drove the dagger into the brain of the gator.

But just her luck, the strike served to do nothing except bend her blade at a 20 degree angle. "What the f-" Artemis said in disbelief, before being thrown off thanks to her being caught off guard.

She hit the dirt hard, and ended up spitting out a bit of ichor. The beast didn't give her any time to heal before it swept her up and clamped its jaws down on her torso. She could have been torn in half, but fortunately the monster didn't apply enough pressure in its bite, leaving her with only many deep gashes.

The goddess screamed from the pain and as her right arm was inside the thing's maw, she lashed out and scratched the tongue and roof of the mouth. She didn't like when chips scratched the inside of her mouth, so surely this thing wouldn't like this fingernails?

Sure enough, it hissed and spat her out, and the bruised and humiliated goddess rolled over in the dirt. The gator got ready to finish the job as she pulled herself to her feet.

She decided it was now or never to kill this thing, as seemingly nothing could penetrate the hide. It came barrelling towards her at record speed, and she stood unarmed awaiting it.

When it reached her, she channeled her godly strength as best she could and reached out a hand to grab the front of its upper jaw. The monster pushed her back in the dirt, but she managed to hold. Artemis took a big risk by lifting one leg and placing it on the lower jaw, prying its mouth open.

The beast felt this and desperately tried to shut its gaping jaws, but the cunning Artemis, daughter of Zeus, had a plan.

She bent her back a bit, basically getting down on one knee and allowing the gator to shut its jaws a bit. _Come on Fates, don't fail me now_ she prayed, and then set her plan into action.

With the strength of a true goddess, she shot back up to her feet, growing to stand at 10 feet tall. The monster could not keep up with this, and writhed around desperately. The more the goddess grew, the wider she pried open his mouth, until it came to a halt.

_Snap_

The gator stopped almost instantly, occasionally twitching or moving after the goddess had snapped the bone by the joint. She stepped back a bit and let its mouth finally close, and when the beast didn't spring into action, she took that as meaning it was dead.

She returned to 5 foot 9 and called Selena over from the ridge. The little girl slung her bow over her back and ran down, coming full speed into Artemis' embrace.

"Are you okay?" Artemis asked frantically, checking the girl over for wounds. Selena nodded, before going back to hugging her mama. "I don't like Nalligaydas." She said quietly, forcing the goddess to suppress a laugh.

"It's okay, let's get you home and show dad what we caught." She suggested, nodding to the titanic beast that lay dead next to them. Selena nodded and backed up, taking Artemis' hand as the goddess in question approaches the corpse.

With both the monster and the oversized alligator in her hold, Artemis flashed the three of them back to Percy's, to _their _home.

Selena's father walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer where they stood, holding a bowl of cereal. He looked over at the two, expecting to see a deer or something, but instead he saw what looked to be a literal dinosaur laying in front of his grand staircase. Thankfully the room was very large, otherwise the 30 foot gator would definitely be hard to fit. "What the fuck is that!?" He asked in shock.

Artemis glared and let go of Selena's hand, who ran over to hug her father. "Don't swear around the kid, and to answer your question, it's our catch." She said triumphantly while Percy hugged his daughter back, having set down the cereal bowl on a table.

He sighed, letting go of the girl and rubbing his temples. "I said deer, I said go catch some _deer_, not _godzilla_. What part of that did you not get?" He asked in disbelief.

Artemis rolled her eyes with her arms crossed. "Well, I'll leave you to do with that what you will. Selena and I are gonna go have ice cream." She said, which was immediately backed up by an enthusiastic little girl. "Ice cream!"

When the two left the room, Percy looked at the record-breaking lizard. _I mean it would be a huge flex, having a dinosaur stuffed and casually placed in the living room._ He thought absentmindedly.

Artemis opened the freezer and looked for ice cream, quickly finding a tub of vanilla. Selena climbed up onto a seat by the kitchen bench while Artemis got some bowls out for the two of them.

Percy walked in a few seconds later and walked over to his fiance. "Aaarty, can you stuff that thing, please." He asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around the goddess after putting his bowl down.

Artemis smirked from his hold. "What? Is the hero of Olympus too afraid to cut open a little old alligator?" She teased, making Percy whine. She finished getting Selena's ice cream and slid the bowl over to the girl, who diligently took to devouring the sweet dessert.

"_That_ is not little, and I don't know how to stuff something." He told her, and Artemis sighed. She turned around and hugged him back. "Okay, I'll do it." She promised, nuzzling her head in her fiance's neck.

Percy felt his shirt become wet, and looked down. Both their shirts were soaked gold, and Artemis' was very much torn. "You're bleeding." He told her, and Artemis disconnected her head from his neck. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. I'll fix it up later, I won't die now that I'm not actively being injured. Gods can't really bleed out, the healing process is too fast. Only way I'll die is if you repeatedly stab me or spill my intestines right now." She assured him.

Percy put a finger on her lips and looked over to his daughter. "None of that talk around the kid. How was your day, princess?" He asked, turning to face Selena, who was almost finished with her ice cream.

She looked up at him, licking the ice cream off of her lips. "Scary." She said, before dutifully licking the rest off the bowl.

**Sorry this took so long, I have become chronically addicted to Red Dead. I don't know what I'll update next, since I have no clue what to write for both the next Dark Lord and No Choice chapters. I likely won't update stories like Reign and Godlings until I'm finished with one of these stories, but you never know. Maybe I'll update Pure Evil or Taste soon, I don't know. Now, I'm 89% complete Red Dead so I gotta go play that and ignore my girlfriend for another three days.**

**Word Count: 3149**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Great Mistake

**So ffn readers, hehe, funny story. Remember how I was in hospital this week for overdosing on prescription meds? Yeah, I'm back in hospital but this time with my twin sister. I'll briefly explain. So on Friday night my twin and I went to a party and stupidly took ecstasy, and long story short I fell off the roof, gashed my arm on the slide, hit my head on the pavement and fell into the pool n almost drowned. I went to hospital with a linear fracture in my skull, a long cut from my bicep to my wrist, and a fucked up knee, I don't even remember what's wrong with it.**

**At the hospital, my twin was still intoxicated, and she got in a heated argument with my dad. She ended up running outside, and after deliriously thinking I died, she threw herself in front of a car. She also got a linear fracture in her skull and she dislocated her elbow, but she's good now. Both of us should be fine but we're gonna be in hospital for a while, and to top it off we're going through the 'Suicide Sunday' phase from taking MDMA (The Great Depression).**

**Y'all are gonna hate me for this chapter but who cares.**

Chapter 15: The Great Mistake

Artemis huffed as Selena climbed up onto her back and wrapped her limbs around the goddess, wanting a piggyback ride from her mama. She obliged and grabbed the young girl's legs to hold her up, proceeding to walk forward in the direction of her mind-palace, the home of Diana for 347 days a year, and the home of Artemis for 18 days a year.

Recently the palace had doubled in size as it was conjoined with a certain God of Heroes', as the now-dating-although-technically-engaged-anyway couple Perses and Diana moved in together with their surprise daughter Lunara, the Roman counterpart to Selena. She was the daughter of Perses and Venus, adopted daughter of Diana, and sooner or later Lunara/Selena would receive their domains and become the goddess of something.

They, or rather she, trudged through the dense forest until they came across a clearing where a large house came into view. It was silver and blue, Artemis guessed the paints had moved around so it looked decent when the palaces connected. The two made their way up to the front door and just let themselves in, knowing that Diana was likely unfit to attack them and Perses would check before swinging.

They walked around until finding the living room, and Selena was still clutched to Artemis' back like a koala bear. The scene they came upon was quite cute.

Diana and Perses were cuddled up under a blanket, she was wearing sweatpants and a grey shirt that was showing off her entire stomach and Perses was wearing a blue hoodie and likely jeans, she couldn't see under the blanket. Their eyes were glued to the tv which was playing some movie she did not know the name of.

Lunara sat on the floor in front of them, playing with Bionicles. "Lena!" She exclaimed, seeing the head of her best friend/sister/clone hanging over Artemis' shoulder. Perses and Diana both snapped their heads in her direction as Selena dismounted and slid on her knees over to Lunara. "Hi Daddy 2, hi Mama 2!" She said, looking to the couple on the couch. Lunara greeted Artemis with equal enthusiasm. "Hello other mama!"

Diana sat up, turning down the volume of the tv. "Artemis, we didn't know you two were coming by." She greeted and Perses waved at her. She waved back at her fiance's clone and looked Diana over. She was but a month into her pregnancy and thus had no curve to her stomach, but she had lost the toned abs that usually graced both goddess' stomachs, making her look skinny instead of strong and athletic.

Diana followed Artemis' gaze and looked down. "I know, I'm getting fat, it's depressing." She said jokingly as Artemis took a seat on the Lazyboy. "Nonsense, you look fine, you've just lost your abs is all." She told her truthfully.

Diana nodded. "It's hard to do pull-ups everyday when they make you feel like the baby's gonna fall out right then and there. How've you been?" She asked her Greek counterpart. Artemis sighed.

"It's been good, though not much has happened since you guys were last out. As you can tell, Selena was a godling this whole time and shat out a Roman version of herself, probably not literally." She said, looking over at the identical girls. She'd have to keep track of which one was hers so she didn't return to Percy with the wrong kid.

"Yeah, I'm still so shocked at that. It took Percy years to sleep with Aphrodite, I still haven't slept with Venus, and then it turns out all this time Aphrodite had already borne him a child?!" Perses piped in from underneath Diana. The goddess in question slapped her fiance. "What do you mean _still haven't_? Do you plan on sleeping with Venus in the future?" She asked critically. Perses laughed and kissed her on the nose. "Never in a million years, moonlace."

"We're gods, dummy. Only a million years is hardly a comforting thought." She flat out told him, making Perses rethink his choice of words.

Artemis cleared her throat. "Anyway, aside from that, Percy and I have been on a few dates which were nice, this little monkey had her fourth birthday AND knocked her first baby tooth out on a sink at a dodgy restaurant." She said, nudging Selena with her foot. The little girl turned and grinned up at Perses and Diana, showing a gaping hole in her otherwise pearly-white chompers.

Perses raised his hand like a kid in school. "Uh, Perseus mind-messaged me asking what room a dinosaur would look good in, what was that about?" He asked, and Artemis chuckled lightly at the memory.

"Well I actually took Selena out on her first hunting trip the other day and… well, let's just say we didn't catch the pigs we were tracking." She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. Diana looked confusedly between Perses and Artemis. "What? A dinosaur?"

"Well, it wasn't a dinosaur per say, but we found a particularly big and angry alligator. About 30ft?" She said trying to play it off as if it wasn't a big deal that they'd caught something akin to a monster that wasn't even myth-related.

Diana's jaw went slack, and she turned to Selena. "You caught that?" She asked in disbelief, and the little girl looked up at 'Mama 2'. "No, mama did, but I hit it!" She said excitedly. Diana had to laugh at that before the subject was changed.

"So how is the baby?" Artemis asked, her tone becoming serious. Diana leaned into Perses, her heavily-scarred light skin blending well with Perses' strong tanned body and she left the explaining to her boyfriend.

"Phoebus obviously hasn't seen us since we were out in the real world, but he said to see him the second we regain control tomorrow. I think the baby's good though, Di's throwing up a lot but from the movies I've seen I'm pretty sure that's normal." He told her.

Artemis sat back and sighed. "I can't believe I'm gonna be a real mother, and I didn't even have to lose my maidenhood or go through pregnancy. Hades, if you didn't wanna be a maiden you should have told me a long time ago, Di. This works well for both of us." She said, staring at her Roman form's stomach and smiled as she remembered that her baby was in there, or at least its Roman form. When it was born it would split into both forms and both couples would return home with their new child.

Diana just cuddled into Perses. "There's no one else I'd rather have given it up to, not even Perseus." She said, and the Roman god smiled and kissed his fiance on the head. Artemis fake-glared. "You better not have considered Percy." She muttered in a jokingly threatening voice. Diana just glared playfully from the blanket.

After an hour of talking, Artemis checked her watch. "Okay, Selena's got a checkup in ten, I'd better go." She said, looking up at the two gods. Diana nodded and Artemis nudged Selena with her foot. "C'mon, we gotta go." She told the girl, standing up. Selena nodded and bid her counterpart goodbye, also waving at her Roman parents and getting up next to Artemis.

She latched onto Artemis' leg playfully and the goddess of the hunt smiled down at her. "Have fun this week, you two." She said towards Perses and Diana, who both said their goodbyes. After a farewell hug from Lunara, Artemis flashed herself and Selena back out into the real world.

They arrived in the waiting room of Apollo's clinic, and immediately Percy was calling them over. He was sitting on one of those sponge seats that are covered in uncomfortable leather, and Artemis grimaced as she realised she'd have to sit on that for the next ten minutes.

Selena ran over to her father and latched herself onto his legs inside, and Percy smiled as he began kicking, flinging his daughter around in the process while she giggled madly. "Are we going to Uncle?" She asked, and Percy nodded. "Uncle Polly?" She clarified, bringing a smile to Percy's face. "Ya-huh. He's gonna make sure you're not sick and maybe he'll even give you a lollipop." He suggested, and Selena's eyes widened as she felt the distant scent of sugar on her tongue.

Selena _loved_ sugar.

Artemis sat down and tried her best to make herself comfortable, crossing her arms and hanging one leg over the other, before also deciding to lean her head on Percy's shoulder. She smiled as he wrapped an arm around her, still kicking his leg up and down in rhythm like he was lifting weights with his foot.

"Now we're just waiting on Aph." He told her as the goddess of the hunt looked down at her stepdaughter swinging around like a monkey. "I'm surprised she agreed to come. I get she's trying to do right by Selena but this doesn't really seem like her scene, going to her daughter's doctor's appointment." She commented.

Percy looked over to the table next to him and grabbed a magazine, something about marine wildlife. "She promised to be here, so I'll take her word for it." He said, handing her a magazine about hunting.

The two sat there for ten minutes reading, Percy was still kicking Selena up and down. Apollo stuck his head out the door, in his official getup with a stethoscope and white coat. "You guys ready?" He asked, and Percy looked around. "Nah, we're just waiting on Aphrodite." He told his future brother-in-law. The chipper god grinned and gave a thumbs up before sliding back into his office.

Percy sighed and looked around. "She should be here by now." He said, looking at his watch. Artemis hummed in agreement as she watched Selena go up and down. "She'll be here." She assured him quietly.

Ten more minutes went past, then another five. Aphrodite still hadn't arrived, and Apollo stuck his head out. "Guys I've got more appointments in like half an hour are you ready yet?" He asked, and Percy gave it one more look around before he sighed in disappointment. "Yeah, let's go, sweetie." He relented, putting his leg down finally.

Selena dismounted, which consisted of letting go of her father's leg suddenly and dropping to the floor with an 'oof'. She sat up and looked around. "Where's mommy?" She asked, looking for a certain goddess of love. Percy looked down at his girl sadly. "Mommy's not coming. Now c'mon, we gotta go get you checked." He said, and she stood up. The god helped his fiance up and they all walked into the god of medicine's office.

To say Percy was in a bad mood when they returned home was an understatement. He was angry. "I can't believe she flaked on us again! What is more important to her than her child's wellbeing?! We could have found out Selena was dying and she'd have been off clothes shopping or something!" He complained loudly as Artemis unzipped Selena's jacket.

"She probably just got held up, it's not her fault." She said, pulling the silver parka off her stepdaughter. Percy scoffed from the kitchen as he grabbed a can of coke from the fridge. "She's been 'held up' for the last _four years_. It's the least she could do to take this stuff, this _parenting stuff_, seriously!" He ranted.

Artemis rolled her eyes as she patted Selena on the back and sent her off to go play. He was overreacting. It's not like Aphrodite purposely skipped, she likely just forgot is all. At least that was Artemis' line of thinking.

Twenty minutes later, Aphrodite flashed in, a frantic look on her face. "Am I late? Did I miss it?" She asked, looking between Artemis and Percy worriedly. Percy gave her a death glare as he leaned on the kitchen counter. "Late, _as usual_. But at least you got a new dress I see!" He exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

Aphrodite pouted. "I forgot, honest!" She tried, but Percy just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get it. You had more important things to attend to." He muttered, and Artemis glared at him slightly. "Percy, would you cut that out? She forgot, it's not her fault. At least she didn't purposely flake on us." She tried reasoning.

Percy glared at both goddesses. "Yeah, because it's not like she's never flaked on us before. Oh, except for, I don't know, the _first three years of her daughter's life._" He sneered, and Aphrodite had to hold back tears. Artemis was astonished that Percy was acting like this.

"_Percy, shut up!" _Artemis hissed, trying to stop this from descending into a full-scale argument. Her betrothed chose to ignore her however, throwing his hands up in frustration at the goddess of love.

"_Three years! _Three years and eleven months you left her in the dark, you never showed up to anything, you never showed her the motherly love you are obliged to show her, you were never a _mother_ in general. Now you say you're finally gonna be around but you never are! You're always off shopping or doing your makeup or fucking the first guy you see on the street!" He yelled at her.

Aphrodite had tears in her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy, I really am. I'm not used to being a mo-" She was cut off by the enraged god. "And I was not used to being a father! But that didn't worry you, you were perfectly content to leave your 'best friend' to raise your child on his own, despite you having more experience in parenthood, what with you allowing however many guys to give you their seed every week!" He hissed at her.

"Percy, I'm _sorry_. I-I'll try to remember next time, I'll remind myself every minute of every day for a week leading up to it. I can _try_." She begged.

"Oh, like you would _try_ and give up adultery to be with me? Yeah, fat chance of that happening. You had your chance to be with me _twice_. Perhaps I would have even said yes if you told me about Selena, but you didn't like the idea of that. You didn't like the idea of holding yourself from riding all the cocks in the land to raise your child and marry the person you were in love with, because that's who you are inside. You may love me, I don't know! But deep down you're more than that, you're not a lover, you're a _whore_. You need sex to survive, and if that means you're not gonna be there for your daughter, then you can leave! Leave and go back to your orgies and just stop _lying to us_!" He screamed.

Aphrodite was crying now, and Artemis was stunned into silence. Percy turned around, shaking furiously. "How could I, the god of loyalty, ever love a disgusting whore?" He wondered aloud, before flashing out and leaving them alone.

Aphrodite fell to her knees sobbing, burying her head in her palms in anguish. Artemis rushed over and quickly embraced the girl she had grown fond of in the past few weeks. She and Aphrodite had developed a friendship, and it pained her to see the love goddess so destroyed by Percy's words. How could he say that to her? It was a simple mistake, and he went way out of line there. Now she was left to help console her friend.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Don't listen to him, he's just upset." She whispered, hugging her friend. Aphrodite cried into her shoulder, arms around her neck. "H-he's right…. I'm a terrible mother, a terrible person. I'm a _whore_." She muttered in between sobs. Artemis shook her head and looked down at Aphrodite.

"No, you're not. You're a good person who wants what's best for her daughter. Everyone makes mistakes, it's not your fault." She told the girl. Aphrodite shook her.

"For years all I wanted was for him to say he loved me back, but now I see, even if you weren't engaged to him, he'd never have me. It's just as he said it. I'm a disgusting whore." She cried. Artemis shook her head.

"Just because a woman enjoys sex does not make her a whore. Percy's had sex with how many women the past few years? Is he a whore? No, and neither are you. You are not disgusting, either. You are the epitome of beauty, nothing can match you." She told her, blushing as she realised how romantic that sounded.

Suddenly a small head peeked around the corner, and Selena looked at the two troubled. "Mama, mommy, why was daddy yelling?" She asked softly, slightly scared. Aphrodite looked up swiftly and gestured her over.

The toddler approached, and Aphrodite wiped her eyes. "Selena, I love you, you know that right?" She asked, and Selena nodded. "And you know I would do anything for you?" Again, Selena nodded. Aphrodite smiled softly as the tears threatened to escape again. "I love you, baby."

Selena grinned widely, before running forward and ensnaring both of the goddesses in a hug. "I love you too! You and mama are the best mommies there ever was!" She exclaimed earnestly and without a hint of a lie in her voice. Aphrodite broke down and hugged her tightly while Artemis hugged the little girl back.

Artemis pulled away and looked down at Selena. "Honey, we're gonna need some alone time. Do you wanna go stay with Lunara and Diana and Perses?" She asked, making Selena smile. She nodded furiously, eager to see her second family. "Ya-huh!" She replied hyped. Aphrodite kissed her on the forehead before Artemis sent her away, far into the regions of her 'mind-realm'.

The goddess of the hunt slid to the ground next to the goddess of love, who was trying to dry her tears. "I was always jealous of you, you know." Aphrodite randomly said. Artemis turned her head toward her and raised an eyebrow.

"You were always so beautiful, I even thought you were more beautiful than myself sometimes, and that angered me. Not because I hated being second place or anything but because you didn't even try, nor did you use it. I spend hours at a time going through my wardrobe and putting on makeup when all you have to do is shower and brush your hair to make guys swoon." She confessed.

Artemis was in silence. Aphrodite thought she was beautiful? The goddess of beauty considered her more beautiful than herself. Now _that_ was a compliment.

She gulped. "I-I always thought you were beautiful too. Thanks to the whole no-guys thing I went through a lot of lesbian phases, and you were always one of my, uh, _crushes_, I think they call them." She admitted.

Aphrodite smiled at her. "I think it was your eyes I envied. The silver goes so well with your hair and your skin, you look like a goddess. People say I look like a goddess in the way that I look more beautoful than any human, but you look _godly_, like you should be exploding with light rays or something. It's beautiful." She said, leaning in to inspect her eyes.

Artemis backed up slightly as she noticed how close their faces were, and Aphrodite blushed when she realised this too. The goddess of love didn't retreat though, which intrigued Artemis. Her face was so close, her lips were mere inches away from hers.

She had always wondered what those lips tasted like, whether it was cherry, raspberry, strawberry, or blood.

She got lost in these wondrous thoughts and her eyes drooped. Aphrodite saw this and closed her own, prepared to let the Fates have their way with her. Sure enough, both of them got the idea to lean in, and after a few seconds Artemis' lips locked onto hers.

Aphrodite let Artemis take over as the two descended to the ground, kissing passionately on the tile floor.

Yep, definitely strawberry.

**I'm still in hospital, but I'm getting better. The pain in my head is gone, my arm is still a bit twitchy, and I got a sick wheelchair so I can be Joe Swanson. HEY BETER. I started drawing recently and decided fuck it imma post it to DeviantArt. I drew Selena, Larissa and Calix and I'm planning on drawing the rest of the Jackson kids from Dark Lord, so stay tuned for that. Go check out my DeviantArt profile, the name's the same as and Wattpad.**

**Word Count: 3663**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Breaking The Chain

**Like the Dark Lord chapter, this one's gonna be short, and it's just gonna be a memory, if you will. This takes place probably in between chapter 10 and 11 and it's a little bit of fluff and family time for Selena, Arty and Percy.**

Chapter 16: Breaking The Chain

The puck clashed against Percy's stick as he blocked it from getting into the goal. "Harder." He said, passing it gently towards his daughter. Selena looked at the puck and glared, channeling her rage into the next play.

Despite it being somewhat illegal, Selena lifted her stick like she was about to make a drive in golf and brought it down to the puck so hard that she ended up getting sent back five feet on her rollerblades. The puck flew through the air and made contact with Percy's shin, and the young god yelped in pain.

After bouncing off the side of his leg the puck ended up sliding into the goal anyway, and Percy laughed as he fell to the ground. "Yes, honey! _That's_ how you score. Break the goalie's knee!" He praised, propping himself up on one elbow and holding out his palm, to which Selena rolled over and high-fived him.

Percy tried to get up and instantly regretted it, feeling a pain in his leg. "Ow, okay, you probably did break it- _ah_. Okay, good job Selena. Let's- uh, go inside." He said, taking off his rollerblades. Selena looked down at him worriedly.

"Daddy are you okay?" She asked with a frown, and Percy nodded as he got up on one leg. "Yup, it'll heal. You did good with the force, make sure you do that whenever you've got a clear shot." He advised his daughter, who nodded as she took off her rollerblades and the helmet.

The two made their way inside the palace, leaving the hockey gear just laying on the driveway. Percy looked at the clock and yawned. It was twenty to six. "Mama should be home soon. I'm gonna go lie in bed, you wanna come?" He offered, not feeling able to start dinner. Artemis was capable of making grilled cheese sandwiches or something simple like that.

Selena nodded, following her limping father down the hall. "Can we read?" She asked, wanting to try it again. Percy looked back at her sadly, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't say yes. "Uh, we can look at the pictures?" He told her, and the little girl looked slightly crestfallen that she couldn't learn how to read. She had Athena, but her teacher was kinda boring. The goddess of wisdom just made her recite the alphabet and taught her how to count. When was she ever gonna need to know how to do that? Selena just wanted to read!

They entered Percy's room and Selena picked out a book, returning to him with one that looked full of pictures. The three year old pulled herself up onto her parents' bed and sat next to her injured father, opening the book and resting it on their laps. "What's that?" She asked, looking at the picture.

Percy looked at it, and smiled as he realised it was a book about Greek myths. Perfect, he actually knew what was happening. "Well that's a hydra, see how it's got heaps of heads?" She nodded. "It's scary." She noted, looking at each face. Percy laughed next to her. "Yeah, well it's even scarier in real life."

He then went on to explain the story. "That little guy down there is Heracles, remember him?" Selena once again nodded. "He was poopy. I don't like him." She hmphed, blowing a raspberry, resulting in Percy chuckling and ruffling her hair. "Yeah, he is. Now, hydras, when you cut their heads off, more just grow back…"

Twenty minutes later, Artemis flashed into the kitchen. Now that she and Percy were officially an actual thing, she had been given access by the god of Heroes to become a full resident of his palace, allowing for her to be able to flash in it and control it, etc. She checked the time and then looked around, becoming confused when she couldn't see or hear the father and daughter anywhere.

"Selena? Percy?" She called, but received no answer. The goddess put down her silver parka on the chair and went to search. All the lights and tvs were off, at least on the first floor, so she ascended the stairs. Once at the top, she looked down the hallways and saw some light coming from the crack under the door at the end of the hall, hers and Percy's room.

The goddess walked over and cracked open the door slightly to see what was going on. Selena had her head leaning on Percy's shoulder as he was talking, and once she saw what was in their hands Artemis realised they were reading.

Which was a problem considering neither of them could read.

She opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey." She said softly, disturbing Selena, who sat bolt upright. Percy smiled, putting the book down. "Hi, how was your day?" He asked, and his fiance nodded. "It was good, nothing eventful. The hunt's doing alright. What about you two?" She asked.

Percy gestured to his leg. "This little fox broke my leg playing hockey. But good news, she can pack one Hades of a hit." He joked, making her laugh. She knew it was no emergency. For gods, internal injuries like broken bones healed relatively fast. He'd be walking again in two days max.

Artemis smiled and looked at the book. "What're you reading?" She asked, and Percy looked back down at the story. "Oh, we're not really reading, just looking at the pictures. Since I know the myths anyway I'm just telling her."

Selena happily piped in. "Heracles is poop!"

Artemis laughed and looked back down at the book, then up at Percy. "You really don't know how to read, huh?" She asked in amazement. She sometimes forgot that reading was a skill many demigods lived their entire 17 years without learning. Percy nodded and blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

She stood there thinking for a few seconds before sitting on the bed next to Selena. "Alright, scooch over, give it here. I'm gonna read for you and you guys are gonna follow along, okay?" She said, taking the book and holding it in front of them. Selena's eyes lit up as she realised she was getting taught how to read and she nodded frantically. Percy was still embarrassed by this but nodded anyway.

Artemis cleared her throat while Selena snuggled into her. As she read, she pointed to each word and she said it slowly, telling them to repeat it under their breaths to learn it. "_Heracles_ walked through the swamp with his nephew Iolaus. It's okay if you can't read the names, they're harder cause they're Greek." She assured them.

"Pfft, I know Greek." Percy said, while Selena repeated it and looked at each word. "Is that swamp?" She asked, pointing to the word that started with Sw. Artemis smiled and nodded. "It is, good girl! Now, he was on the lookout for the nine-headed beat, the Lernean Hydra…"

**Sorry it's so short, I just felt like writing a cute little fam moment for the Jackson's. I'll be having another short chapter for Dark Lord coming out soon which is also just family fluff, as well as Pertemis romance, but it is much more important to the story. Also, Sadie posted her own story, which is very… tiktok girl… She posted a 'face reveal' which is just a drawing she made me do of her while she was bathing, and it's not even that good, and apparently she wrote her own biography, tho I haven't read it.**

**Word Count: 1313**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Keeping a Secret

**Finally! Here you go with the No Choice chapter. I know it's been two months. It's been one since I updated but that was ANs and the reading chapter doesn't really count. So here you go, the chapter set on the day immediately following Aphrodite and Artemis getting it on. Also Artemis is technically still a virgin since her hymen is intact. Aph and Arty just kissed and licked I guess.**

Chapter 17: Keeping A Secret

Finally, the first day of the Magna Convivium dawned. Phoebus' light was the catalyst to Diana's awakening, and the pregnant goddess made a small noise as she stretched.

She smiled as she realized she, Perses and their new daughter Lunara would have an entire week to explore the real world together, and Lunara would get to see her first Magna Convivium.

She rolled over and instinctively pulled her fiance closer, wrapping one arm behind his head and pulling in for a kiss. She heard a feminine moan and Perses kissed back, but as they continued to make out Diana noticed something odd. Perses' hair felt different, like it had been drowned in conditioner. She opened her eyes and was met with a head of blonde. Perses was most definitely not blonde.

Venus' beautiful eyes opened too, expecting to see just another one of her lovers laying next to her. What she didn't expect to see, however, was one of the few goddesses who specifically would never be her lover. Why, who was she laying next to, you may ask? The answer you're looking for is Diana, the Roman goddess of the Hunt, Moon and Virginity.

As the realisation of what had happened dawned on both of them, Venus gasped while Diana squealed. It was an unholy squeal, one she didn't know her lungs were capable of producing. Much like Artemis had done when she'd woken next to Percy naked, Diana pulled the covers close to her naked form and fell backwards off the bed, still screaming.

She stood up, grabbing anything within arms reach and pegging it at the love goddess. "WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING?!" She cried, nailing Venus with all types of different items. A pen, a book, a lamp, a towel.

Venus tried desperately to deflect the projectiles, startled by the screaming and the situation. "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!" She yelled, her voice breaking at the end thanks to Diana's hounding.

Diana soon ran out of ammunition and backed up against the wall. "Why am I in your bed and not Perses'? Why are we _naked_?" She asked, and Venus could only shake her head in response thanks to the shock, which Diana took to mean _I don't know_.

Diana clutched the covers tight to her chest and slid down the wall. "No… she wouldn't. _Would she?"_ Diana was freaking out, wondering what Aphrodite and Artemis had to have done for Venus and Diana to be in this situation.

Was this some sort of joke? Their way of getting back at their roman forms for waking up naked together? She knew Artemis wasn't happy about Percy having seen her naked so soon but this was just in bad taste. She was _pregnant_ and _engaged_. At least Artemis actually woke up with her fiance, Diana's just woke up with her fiance's friend.

"Oh gods." She muttered, putting her face in her hands. "Oh gods. What if they…" She couldn't finish the sentence, her breath shaky. Venus looked at the goddess with pity, and bit her lip in contemplation. She had no idea what to do, or more fittingly she had no idea what was appropriate to do. They were still butt naked after all.

The goddess decided to throw the social barriers away for the moment. This was her friend's fiance, who looked on the verge of crying. She had to do something.

The Roman goddess of love stepped forward and, mustering all the compassion she had in the moment, knelt down and wrapped her arms around the former maiden goddess. Diana's breath hitched when she felt Venus' embrace, and when she felt the comfort of her fellow Olympian all her walls collapsed.

Diana broke down in her arms, pulling her knees close to her and holding the blanket up. She was so scared and confused. "Oh my gods, he's going to leave me! He'll think I cheated on him and he'll leave. He… he'd be right to d-do so." She sobbed, and Venus frowned as she rubbed her back.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, Diana. He's not gonna leave you, I promise. He- I- He'll understand, we'll make him understand it wasn't our fault. You're pregnant with his child!" She assured, but it didn't do much for the steadfast goddess.

Despite her usually headstrong nature, Diana was _very_ new to the whole romance thing, and thus very insecure. "But… but… why would he stay? He could easily find a new wife, he'd have no reason to stay with me." She cried.

Venus pouted and grabbed the goddess' face. "Hey, Di." She said snappily, bringing her fellow goddess' attention to her. She stared her dead in the eye. "He's not gonna leave you, you know why? Because he loves you. He loves you and the baby in your stomach. Remember that. We can assure him it wasn't our fault, and in the end, love will always prevail." She whispered.

Diana wiped the tears away. "You- you really think so?" She asked. As cliche as it was, Venus couldn't help but smile and say "I know so."

"Mama? Mommy?" A small noise came from the doorway. Their heads snapped in that direction and they gaped as they saw a small black-haired girl standing there looking at them. "Lunara!" Diana cried in relief.

The daughter of Perses and Venus looked at the two of them confusedly "Why you naked?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Diana and Venus suddenly became aware of how they looked and the two sputtered. "I- uh… mommy and I were just…" She trailed off, trying to think up a PG response.

Suddenly Diana's eyes widened, and she launched herself at Lunara, desperately trying to run at her while simultaneously holding the blanket up to cover herself. "Luna! Honey! Please." She begged, making Lunara's eyes widen.

Venus quickly flashed her clothing on and joined Diana. The girl's eyes were wide as her mother frantically shook her. "Lunara, you _cannot_ tell your father about this. Okay? Okay!?" Diana told her.

Eyes still wide, Lunara nodded frantically, just wanting to be let go already. Venus came over and placed a hand on Diana's shoulder. "Di, let her go. You're scaring the poor girl." She said.

Diana sighed but complied and released the girl. "Yeah, I'm sorry Lunara, but _please, please_ don't tell your father." She begged. Lunara swallowed and nodded. "Okay, but… why _are _you naked?" She asked, and Diana and Venus looked at each other.

"We were playing, sweetie." Venus assured, and Lunara nodded. "Okay."

Wanting to be quick so Perses didn't get suspicious as to why he didn't wake up with his fiance, Diana dressed herself and grabbed Lunara's hand, dragging her out of the room gently. She flashed the two of them to Lunara's room in their palace, and Diana looked back at her. "Remember:" She said, proceeding to hold her finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

Lunara nodded and Diana opened the door, turning only to be met by Perses. Surprising all three of them, Diana yelped and fell back. "There you are! You got up early?" Perses said, looking at the panting Diana.

Diana nodded and got back up. "Yeah, sorry. I just went for a morning jog." She said, backed up by her slightly sweaty forehead. Perses raised an eyebrow. "You're pregnant." He reminded her, making the goddess freeze for a moment.

Thankfully she managed to play it off. "Yeah I know but I just wanted to get my monthly dose of Aether, y'know. Besides, I'm only, what, one month pregnant? I wanna get in some physical activity before I'm too fat to do anything." She told him.

Perses stared at her in confusion at her erratic behavior for a bit, making the moment tense and awkward as Diana nervously bit her lip. Thankfully Lunara managed to rescue Diana by tugging on Perses' shirt. "Hi daddy."

Perses mood suddenly changed back to happiness as he looked down at his little girl. "Hey, sweetpea." He said, crouching down and picking her up. The god nuzzled his daughter's neck as she sat on his hip, making her giggle. Diana sighed in relief as Perses seemed to forget what they were talking about, following the father and daughter down the hallway and stairs towards the kitchen, where Perses had no doubt already made or was about to make breakfast.

Sure enough, pancake mixture was sizzling on the frying pan when she walked in, and Diana smiled at the smell. "You're lucky I was kind enough to put some on for you, I thought you were at your palace or something." He told her, and Diana thanked him.

Diana sat at the table with her adopted daughter and watched tv with her, braiding the little girl's hair as they waited for their food. Perses happily cooked their breakfast, making sure to add the main ingredient. "You want yours silver, Di?" He asked, and his soon-to-be wife smiled. "You know it."

Perses served their breakfast at the bench, and Diana helped cut Lunara's up into bite-sized pieces before digging into her own. Perses grabbed his plate and ate his across from them. "So, you guys excited for the Magna Convivium?" He asked, mainly to Lunara. She had retained Selena's previous memories, so this was really her fourth Magna Convivium, but since she was technically a new person then this was technically her first.

"Are there gonna be galdaytors?" She asked, making Diana laugh. "I'm sure there will be, sweetie." She assured her, and Lunara's eyes widened in excitement, her toothless grin prevalent among the syrup-stained lips. "Coooool."

Once they were all done Perses threw their plates in the sink and went to get some clothes on. Diana took Lunara to do the same, as well as clean her face up in the bathroom. It was kinda redundant for them to even dress up for the occasion, as they would all flash into chitons and more greek-style outfits at the ceremony. So, Diana dressed the two of them more for the intermissions, putting on jeans and her sliver hoodie herself and dressing lunara in a silver t-shirt and some shorts.

They met Perses back in the main foyer where Lunara immediately walked over to climb up on his shoulders. He laughed as the girl stepped all over his back to get up, proceeding to grab her legs so she didn't fall off. "You good?" He asked Diana, and when she nodded they all flashed out to New Rome.

As usual for the Magna Convivium, the gods all flashed into their respective temples on the hill, where their supporters and children waited for them. Diana was relieved to find her hunters and a few young Roman maidens waiting patiently, while Perses was flooded by his Roman priests and legacy fanboys and girls.

He tried his best to not fall over among the crowd, growing just a bit to seven foot so he could see over the heads. As the other gods started appearing, they all got in formation. The gods' followers and children back up and moved off to the sides, allowing for an open area in front of the temples.

Lunara watched in awe as everyone waited in silence, before she saw something in the distance. There was a light in the early morning sky, and it kept growing bigger. It grew bigger and bigger until she could discern it as a torchlight, and a man was carrying it as he ran to the temple hill.

The crowd watched as he ran up onto the main courtyard of the hill, coming to a halt at the large brazier in the center. The son of Victoria turned to the gods and bowed. "Sit primo ludos in annua favorem deorum, laudare inmortalium ficta sunt!" He cried, before lighting the brazier.

The citizens of New Rome cheered as the gods began to walk, marching from the hill all the way down to the Circus Maximus, where the first day of events would be held. The chariot events.

After chatting with Thalia and her hunters for the first half of the trek, Diana jogged up to join her fiance and adopted daughter for the rest of it. Lunara smiled at her mama when she saw her and waved, making Diana laugh and wave back.

The crowds poured into the racecourse, eager to witness another week of grand festivities and exciting games. The gods parted to two separate, where a table was set up at each end. They did this based on… well, bets. The gods placed bets on who would win the team events, and would sit on that team's side. Diana usually always defaulted red, regardless of who was playing, but Perses had convinced her to vote blue this year, mainly so she could sit with them.

On the blue side was Neptune, Perses, Diana, Vesta and Vulcan, who were in the minority. Diana's hunters had all dressed with red decor to their outfits, but after seeing their lady walking the wrong way they quickly got some blue ribbons, face paint and bandanas from some vendors.

On the red side was Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Minerva, Pluto, Ceres, Phoebus, Mercury, Bacchus and Venus. Phoebus in particular was disheartened when he saw his twin sister switch sides, as he usually sat next to her. He looked conflicted between Mercury and Diana for a moment before relenting and running down to the blue side.

He made it before the bet cups even reached the blue side and plopped himself down on the seat next to his twin, shocking the Pluto out of her. Lunara saw her uncle and grinned, jumping out of Percy's grasp to go sit in his lap. Phoebus jumped back in shock at the sudden assault, before grinning just as widely and hugging her tight. "Hey, little perse!" He said, tickling the small girl.

The cup came around and the gods all fished their sacks of denarii out of their pocket dimensions, placing their bets in the cup. The same was done for the red side and the cup was placed in the center of the Circus, where a long row of towers stood. It was placed on the centermost one, high as the gods and gold as Phoebus' chariot.

As was her duty, Reyna stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the circus. It was on the side of the arena, in between the red and blue teams. As the crowds cheered, she raised her hand to silence them. Out of respect for their glorious and virtuous leader, the crowd hushed. Perses raised an eyebrow at this respect, respect which hadn't been seen in Rome since the days of Marcus Aurelius in the late second century AD. _She's doing well for herself._ He said, staring at his good friend.

Reyna looked towards each side. "Great gods! It is my pleasure, _Rome's pleasure_, to welcome you all back to our great city, and to the annual Roman Games!" This was met by cheers from the crowd, and once again Reyna had to quieten them.

"Now, you know how this all works. First we will have the races, where Rome and Camp Half Blood's greatest charioteers will race to decide who among them is the ultimate champion with the reigns! Betting for that is not monitored by us so do with that as you will. Later we will have the main event: _The Magna Patera!_"

As the crowds once again cheered, but when their empress clapped thrice, they hushed. She pointed to the gates underneath both team tables, which opened dramatically, pouring out maybe ten riders each. Their chariots were all immaculate, clearly designed for speed. Demigods of various heritage rode atop them, waving around the flags of their cabins or parents, and in the Romans' case they had their cohort number painted on the backs of their chestplates.

Lunara's eyes widened as she watched the pretty gold and silver people ride around in the big circle. "Coool." She whispered in awe, making her uncle Phoebus chuckle.

The riders go into position, lining up at the starting line in front of Reyna. She looked to the two tables, where the gods waited eagerly for some good ol' fashioned races. Being cooped up in your mind for 29 days was _really _boring, but thankfully they had the whole week to stretch their legs.

Cupbearers came around and filled the gods' goblets with whatever drink they wanted, and Perses made sure Lunara received a coke and not a Jack Daniel's. Lunara sipped on her straw, nearly pissing herself due to the anticipation. She hardly remembered her last Roman Games, and she did _not_ want to miss the first event.

Reyna raised her hand up, and everyone looked on eagerly. The riders patiently awaited the command, and finally Reyna struck her hand down, telling them to go.

It was very, _very_ fast. They weren't kidding when they said that these were the best. These kids were doing drifts and shit in _chariots._ As the bright lights of their LEDs and the spotlights flew around and round in circles, Lunara felt like she was gonna have a seizure, but thankfully she settled for the easier option.

During the seventh lap, she leaned over and puked all over the steps on the other side of Phoebus from Diana.

During the final lap, everybody was on the edge of their seats, as it was clearly a contest between a Roman son of Mercury and a Greek son of Ares. The Ares kid was clearly better suited for the Magna Patera as he looked like he wanted to run this skinny kid into the wall, but unfortunately he wasn't allowed to do that, so he had to rely on speed.

With the amount of whipping reigns that went on in that last ten seconds, it's a wonder the officials didn't disqualify for animal abuse. Alas, as the racing line neared closer they were neck and neck until the Mercury kid gave it one last push and tore across the strip.

The entire arena could not be stopped from their cheering and applauding as the kid was declared winner. After a minute of riding around the circus and bathing in confetti, much to the chagrin of the salty Ares kid, some daughters of Venus and Aphrodite came out and bestowed upon him a golden wreath. Not as cool as Jupiter's, so the head god was assured. His one was _much_ more shiny and cool and everyone liked his better.

Phoebus cursed as he realised he just lost a bet. He forgot that you weren't to harm each other in the races. He was so sure that Ares kid would run them all down.

They cleared the circus and Reyna stood once more, announcing the beginning of the Magna Patera. Before they came out though, Perses had an announcement to make. Reyna saw her old friend stand and gave him the attention of the crowd. "Heroes! Our god wishes to speak! Lend him your ears!"

The entire stadium went silent as Perses cleared his throat. "Well, as many of you may know, Diana and I have been put in an _awkward_ arrangement." He began, inciting a couple laughs, mainly from the other gods.

He looked down at his fiance. "However, I… I think I made a mistake in calling it awkward at first. Even though it was definitely opposed, you'll be happy to know that it's beginning to work out." The god grinned as he reached down and pulled Diana to her feet.

"I'm happy to announce that Diana and I are expecting our first child together!" Immediately the arena burst into cheers and applause, loud enough that Lupa's cubs jolted awake at the sound, despite the door to their cave being shut. A few closer to the table looked worried at the fact that Diana had lost her virginity, so she decided to clear that up. "Do not worry, I have transferred my domain of virginity over to Vesta, and she will become the patron of maidens, _but_ I will continue to do my best to support all the maidens of the world and protect them. I promise you." She said, earning another round of cheers. Diana and Perses then sat down and waited for the event, and Lunara crawled over to sit on her dad's lap. He cringed at the smell of her vomit-breath.

Like the races, the gates underneath the stands opened up and out poured two dozen chariots. The only thing about these ones were that they were colored either red or blue and they were fucking _decked _out in lethal technology. Spikes, rams, cannons, metal plates for protection, you name it. These things were war machines.

The horn was sounded and the chariots went to work. They charged each other down, their riders wielding blunt weapons like dull blades and clubs. Lunara was in awe as they collided, with the spray of blood and metal and sparks everywhere. It was a four year old's wet dream.

When the first person was thrown off their chariot, there was a loud _crunch_ as their back broke, making the whole arena drop in a chorus of 'oooo's. Perses' eyes were wide and he looked down at Lunara. "Wanna go see if they have ice cream?" He asked.

Despite the absolute chaos, the thought of sugar overcame the child and she looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "_ ?_" She clarified, and he nodded.

Within a second the little girl was up and running for the top of the stadiums, where the food cart sat behind a wall stocked with delicious treats. Perses cursed and ran up after her, hoping she didn't go berserk and steal something or torch the cart because they didn't give her a free sample.

In the end, peace was made with the food vendor, and Perses and Lunara sat on some bins licking ice cream while they took a break from the carnage. Suddenly Lunara got a question in her head, and she bit her lip as she wondered whether she should ask. Perses caught this look and turned to her. "What is it, monkey?" He asked.

Lunara looked up at him with curious eyes. "Why was mommy and mama playing without they clothes on? Can I play?" She asked as Perses' eyes widened exponentially.

Blue team won the Magna Patera.

**YES! I MANAGED TO UPDATE NO CHOICE IN SEPTEMBER. I wouldve felt like such a failure if I didn't manage to update this story at least once this month. Well, I started two more stories, and thankfully one of ems short. I reckon I'll put my focus on either Dark Lord or Blue Sky Country next, you decide. Knowing the stats though, I better start working on the DL chap cause I have a feeling thatll win. Buuuuuut I mean I'm also replaying GTA V, grinding siege and marathoning the Call of Duty campaigns so update schedules may be dodgy. Not that I really have an update schedule anyway lmao. Time to go write some Halloveeen shite!**

**Also be grateful that this story is 2000 words longer than it was originally gonna be cause I couldn't figure out what to write after 2000 words so I wrote the entire Roman Games segment. Don't worry though, along with Perses and Diana's **_**very complicated relationship goals**_**, next chapter will also feature the gladiator events!**

**Word Count: 4010**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Confliction

**I'm back on No Choice after an entire month. I'm getting writer's block for this story.**

**Hey Plsyes543, what do I reach you at? You just left a period. You said, and I quote, **"**you can reach me at ." ?**

Chapter 18: Confliction

Perses, to say the least, was conflicted. For the first time in a long time he was actually _undecided_ on whether he'd do the loyal thing. From what he'd managed to bribe and wrangle out of Lunara, Artemis and Aphrodite, maybe even Diana and Venus but unlikely, had done _something_ he didn't want to name the night before.

He sat at a tropical bar by the lake in New Rome drinking something alcoholic- he didn't remember the name. Probably something relevant like Neptune's smelly dick cheese or something similar.

His mind was divided in two, as it was with most people on issues. The thing you want to do and the right thing to do, like save your best friend or save a hundred strangers. He knew the right thing to do would be to tell Percy that his fiance _cheated_ on him with his ex-lover. That would be the loyal thing to do, and Perses _was_ the god of loyalty. It was excruciatingly painful to even consider lying to him.

But it wasn't what he really wanted to do. He had no doubt that the news of Artemis' infidelity would destroy Percy, and destroy his relationship with the goddess. He would leave her on the spot, take Selena and leave Artemis on the doorstep.

But what did that mean for Perses? The Roman was genuinely in love with Diana, so he felt with all his heart, and what would the breakup of their dominant forms mean for them? The mental connection would be gone, Perses and Diana would only see each other once a month, like children in the midst of a divorce.

And Selena, who wasn't even five yet, would be utterly traumatized if her parents broke up. She was lucky to have only met her mother recently, it's better she only had one parent than see two parents split apart. Percy would completely excommunicate both of her mothers and take her as the hegemon guardian of the girl. She would likely be prohibited from ever seeing Aphrodite and Artemis again, after all Artemis was nothing to her if she wasn't with Percy, and Aphrodite had already been given so many chances.

But there was the loyalty thing again. What would happen if Percy found out anyway, and he found out Perses knew as well? Percy would feel betrayed, as he should. The mother of his child, his fiance, himself, they all lied to him about something so important, about a betrayal so deep. If there was a way to exorcise your Roman form, Percy would likely do it just so he could throw Perses onto the curb along with the goddesses.

What would be the physical implications of _real betrayal_? His fatal flaw was loyalty, what would happen to him if he committed what is essentially the most heinous of crimes to himself? The universe would probably implode or something.

So yes, he was conflicted. The moral and the desirable thing to do, which would he go with? Would he rat the goddesses out and ruin their relationship, traumatize Selena and get himself separated from his love? Would he lie to Percy and risk the negative effects of betraying his primary domain, risking getting caught out by Percy and excommunicated?

As he sat there thinking about it, it didn't seem like such a difficult choice on paper, but in reality he was fucked.

"Hey." Diana said smiling as she walked over and sat down next to him. She was wearing some more beach appropriate gear, as the lake was the hotspot of the night for the Magna Convivium. Games and celebrations were taking place until it was generally past the younger kids' bedtimes and the actual parties could begin.

Despite it being nearly six in the evening, Perses was in his blue swimming trunks and flip flops while Diana wore some shorts and a tank top. She also had sunglasses on top of her head which sat unused as the sun was beginning to go down. He tried his best to smile and greet her. "Hey." He said sadly, which she immediately caught on to.

The goddess ordered a drink and sat down. When it arrived with a little paper umbrella sticking out of it she cringed and pulled it out, placing it down on the bar so it didn't disturb her drinking. "What's wrong?" She asked, taking a sip of the non-alcoholic beverage.

Perses didn't lie nor sugarcoat it. It would probably be best to just tell her and even get her opinion. "I know about you and Venus." He said gloomily, to which his fiance choked on her drink. "What?! How?!" She asked.

Perses looked to their right, where Lunara was paddling in the water with her mother Venus. "Damn. I thought she would keep quiet." She muttered to herself. Perses just stared her down. "Did you do it?" He asked, not specifying what exactly he meant.

Diana's eyes widened as she shook her head vehemently. "No! I mean, I don't know? It's confusing. Look, Perse, Venus and I woke up together… naked. That's it. I don't know why Artemis and Aphrodite ended up that way. They might not have even been doing anything wrong, I _doubt_ Artemis would cheat on Percy least of all with Aphrodite. But at the same time… I can't think of a reason for them to fall asleep in that position." She said.

Perses' mouth was dry. "What do I do, Di?" He asked sadly, before continuing. "If I don't tell him it'll go against everything I stand for. The god of loyalty, lying to his own self about his fiance's potential infidelity. But… if I tell him it could get in the way of us." He told her.

Diana was silent as he continued to argue with himself. "But if Artemis really did cheat on him intentionally without a care for Percy then he has the right to know." He looked down, stuck.

Diana reached out and took his hand. "Look, just do what you think is best. Yes it might seem the right thing to do is tell Percy, but think of Selena. Where's she going to end up after all of this. Do what's best for her and remember, no matter what happens I love you." She said quietly, leaning over and planting a kiss on his lips.

The goddess downed her drink and walked off to play volleyball with Lunara and Venus, leaving Perses with his thoughts.

Later that night, near two in the morning, Perses and Diana returned to their palace. They had dropped Lunara off earlier with Vesta to watch her, and the goddess quickly told them she was asleep upstairs before leaving back to her own home.

Perses and Diana made their way up to the bedroom, tired after a night of partying with all of New Rome and Olympus. They entered their bedroom and Perses flopped down on the bed while Diana got changed out of her wet clothes into something more sleep-appropriate. Perses' shorts were automatically dry and comfy anyway.

She came in and lay down, wearing only some boxers and one of Percy's shirts. Diana cuddled up to her fiance as they both closed their eyes, but before they could fall asleep she popped the question. "So what are you gonna do?"

Perses didn't open his eyes as he answered. He'd thought about it long and hard and came up with his decision. "The right thing, Di. I love you." He said softly. Diana smiled and crawled up his chest, kissing him for a few seconds. "I love you too."

As they fell asleep Diana was soon lost in dreams, but Perses wasn't. He wasn't going to dream yet. He had work to do.

He appeared in their mind realm, where Percy and Artemis were currently staying and where Perses and Diana usually resided. The Greek couple were currently asleep in their mind bedroom, so he probably wouldn't be interrupted.

The Roman sat down at a table and grabbed a pen as well as two pieces of paper, before beginning to write two letters to his Greek form.

Perses woke up the next morning with his fiance's presence absent from the bed. She'd likely gotten up earlier either due to morning sickness or just her body clock thanks to 5am hunts.

He lay there letting his eyes adjust to the light for a while before sitting up just in time for the bathroom door to open and Diana to step out with only a towel on. She smiled when she saw him. "Morning. I fixed Lunara some breakfast, she wants to go watch the gladiators today." She said. Perses smiled back and nodded, before cringing slightly. "Yeah, that'll be fun showing my four year old daughter."

Diana shrugged. "She'll probably be seeing way worse by the time she's ten with the way this world works." She reminded him, making him sigh. As Diana got changed he stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

He kissed the back of her head, resulting in the water being immediately drained from her hair. She thanked him and kissed her fiance back. "At least by the time she's ten we'll have an innocent little six year old and maybe more running around who's eyes we can shield." He reminded her.

Diana smiled as she looked down at her belly. She was almost exactly a month pregnant as the baby was conceived the last time Diana and Perses were awake. She wasn't really showing but as Artemis had noted when they visited the couple in the mid world a week or two before, her abs were noticeably gone and replaced with merely a slim stomach like Artemis.

Diana sighed. "We'll have to set up that nursery sooner or later." She reminded him, making the god shrug. "Eh, we'll do it closer to the time. No point in rushing to do it when we've got nine months." He told her.

Diana raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "That's what pretty much every procrastinator says." She told him and Perses shrugged. "I forgot what that means but okay." He said.

Perses himself got dressed without first having a shower and made his way downstairs to the living room. Lunara was sitting on the floor with a plate of toast in front of her while she watched cartoons on the TV. She saw her dad and waved over-exaggeratedly with a full toast in her mouth. "Haa dwaddny!" She said muffled, making Perses smile slightly as he waved back.

"Morning, princess. You excited for the gladiators?" He asked. Lunara swallowed all the toast and nodded rapidly. "Ya-huh! I hope someone dies!" She said in awe at the idea. Percy's eyes were slightly wide as he put some bread in the toaster.

Upstairs Diana realised that she'd never notified Venus about Perses' knowledge of what happened the morning before, and so decided to mind message her. _Venus? Venus?_ She called through her mind.

It took a moment before she got a response. _Yes, darling?_ She replied, making Diana roll her eyes. _Perses knows._ She told her, intentionally not elaborating just to scare the love goddess. _Oh gods, how did he react?_ She asked worriedly.

Diana smiled before relieving her anxiety. _It's okay. He understands it's not our fault. We just can't understand why Aphrodite and Artemis would do this._ She told her. Venus was silent for a second before asking. _Is he going to tell Perseus?_

Diana immediately replied. _I don't know._

In their mind world the Jacksons were only just beginning to wake up. Like Lunara, Selena was sat in the living room wrapped up in a blanket on the floor watching TV, though she was watching Scooby Doo whereas Lunara was watching Looney Tunes. Artemis was making pancakes for the three of them while Percy had only just gotten out of the shower.

He dressed himself and walked downstairs into the kitchen. The god kissed his fiance quickly, not noticing the guilty look on her face before she turned her head back to focus on the pancakes.

"Are you cold or is it just me?" He asked, and Artemis shrugged. "If you think it's cold, put the fire on." She recommended, and the god walked over to do so. He passed Selena on the way and pet her head like a dog, resulting in her turning her head up to look at him while she was wrapped in her blanket. The little girl gave her father a smile, her missing tooth very noticeable, before turning back to her cartoons.

The god threw some logs in the fire before grabbing some matches. He lit one off and threw it in, and the wood soon went up in flames.

Percy walked over to the main desk in the room where two envelopes sat out in the open. One had a very big and bold **1** on it, while the other was marked with a **2**. He took that to mean the order they were supposed to be read and thus picked up the first one.

Percy opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, before reading silently to himself.

_Perce,_

_It's Perses talking man, your other self. I have some really bad news, which is inside envelope number 2, but the purpose of this letter is to provide a warning. This news is something you deserve to know, something I'd feel I'd be betraying you if I did not tell. It's really bad and I know reading it will absolutely fuck you up._

_The reason I'm writing this warning isn't to provide some sorta disclaimer saying you're not gonna like this. No, you never like bad news but you always get it. I'm writing to say that I'm leaving it up to you to decide whether you know what this bad news is._

_At first it seemed obvious that I should tell you but the more I thought about it the more I realised that maybe it wasn't the best thing to do. I won't go over the exact reasons cause that would just give it away but I just want you to know that if you open that envelope, Selena's life will be ruined._

_This information is probably gonna be the deciding factor in your happiness maybe for a few years, maybe forever. But I know you, I know you'd gladly throw away your happiness for the ones you love, you'd stay in a world of lies and pain if it meant your loved ones could live in one of ignorance and bliss, you've done it so much already. We've done it so much already._

_So I beg of you, Percy. Do it for her._

_Do it for her._

_Perses._

By the time he finished the letter he had already made his decision. Percy put down the first letter, picked up the second envelope and threw it into the fire.

_Do it for her_

**So no, that's not the last we'll see of the Aphrodite-Artemis affair. I just don't know where to go from here. Sorry for this really short chapter. Got major writer's block. Probably gonna update Long Walk Home next. **

**Also another thing happened this weekend… I may have taken some pads of crushed up ice with my dinner, and I may have taken too many. Soon enough my tongue is burning, my throat and head hurts and my step mom is rushing me to the hospital. I didn't technically OD, but I took enough to the point where it was really irritating my tongue and mouth, which is a starting sign of meth mouth. Basically if I keep taking it my teeth will fall out. Thankfully I'm trying not to anymore, my dad chucked me in rehab and it sucks balls and I hate it and I can rehab myself just fine.**

**So yeah, I did the bad thing with the drugs yet again, first heroin, then pills, then mdma, now meth. Maybe I do have a problem.**

**How do I continue this realistically? And no, not threesome lemon like you keep asking.**

**Word Count: 2743**


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